Shloka 68
Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)
यदि त्वेनं महाराज यज्ञ प्राप्तुम भीप्ससि । यतस्व तेषां मोक्षाय जरासंधवधाय च,राजन! यदि आप इस यज्ञको पूर्णरूपसे सम्पन्न करना चाहते हैं तो उन कैदी राजाओंको छुड़ाने और जरासंधको मारनेका प्रयत्न कीजिये
yadi tvenam mahārāja yajñaṃ prāptum abhīpsasi | yatasva teṣāṃ mokṣāya jarāsandha-vadhāya ca ||
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: “O great king, if you truly wish to attain and bring this sacrifice to its intended fulfillment, then strive to secure the liberation of those imprisoned kings—and also to slay Jarāsandha.”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous sacrifice cannot be pursued in isolation from dharma: the king must remove oppression (free the captive rulers) and eliminate the adharma-based obstacle (Jarāsandha). Ethical responsibility and protection of others are presented as prerequisites for legitimate ritual success.
In the context of planning a major royal sacrifice, Kṛṣṇa advises the king that the rite’s fulfillment requires decisive action: rescuing the kings held captive by Jarāsandha and confronting Jarāsandha himself. The counsel links political action and moral duty to the completion of the yajña.