Shloka 4

Jarā’s Account and the Enthronement of Jarāsandha (जरासंधोत्पत्तिः अभिषेकश्च)

Devanagari script

सुनयस्यानपायस्य संयोगे परम: क्रम: । संगत्या जायतेड5साम्यं साम्यं च न भवेद्‌ द्वायो:

Transliteration

sunayasya anapāyasya saṃyoge paramaḥ kramaḥ | saṅgatyā jāyate ’sāmyaṃ sāmyaṃ ca na bhaved dvayoḥ ||

Translation

When sound counsel, free from danger, is joined to an undertaking, the highest course of action is attained. From close engagement arises the recognition of inequality; complete equality between two sides does not occur. Thus a work begun under prudent, non-harmful guidance reaches success, and only when opponents meet in direct contact does the true difference between them become plain.

Word by Word

• {'su-naya': 'good policy

• prudent counsel', 'anapāya': 'free from harm or risk

• not leading to downfall', 'saṃyoga': 'joining

• association', 'paramaḥ kramaḥ': 'the highest procedure/step

• best course of action', 'saṅgati': 'close contact

• coming together (also: engagement/encounter)', 'jāyate': 'arises

• comes to be known', 'asāmya': 'inequality

• non-equivalence', 'sāmya': 'equality

• parity', 'na bhavet': 'does not occur

• is not possible', 'dvayoḥ': 'of the two (sides/parties)'}

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Undertakings succeed when guided by prudent, non-harmful counsel; and real comparative strength is revealed only through direct engagement—perfect parity between opposing sides is rarely, if ever, found.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva offers a maxim of practical ethics and policy: good advice ensures successful action, and confrontation/close contact exposes the true disparity between two parties.