Shloka 8
Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)
अभिभूय श्रियं तेषां कुलानामभिषेचित: । स्थितो मूर्थ्नि नरेन्द्राणामोजसा55क्रम्य सर्वश:
abhibhūya śriyaṃ teṣāṃ kulānām abhiṣecitaḥ | sthito mūrdhni narendrāṇām ojasā kramya sarvaśaḥ, rājan |
O King, having overstepped and eclipsed the royal fortune of those lineages, Jarāsandha has been consecrated to imperial status by kings themselves. Standing upon the heads of rulers, he advances everywhere by sheer might, assaulting all and making himself the foremost among kings—an ascendancy grounded not in dharma but in overpowering domination.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts dharmic sovereignty with dominance gained through sheer force: political elevation can occur through fear and coercion, but such supremacy is ethically suspect when it rests on overpowering other rulers rather than righteous conduct.
Kṛṣṇa describes Jarāsandha’s rise: he has eclipsed the royal fortunes of many kṣatriya houses, has been anointed to an imperial position by other kings, and now, by strength, attacks everywhere and places himself above all rulers.