Shloka 15
Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20
जगन्नाथ! पुरुषोत्तम! आप सावधान होकर वही उपाय कीजिये
ayaṃ ca balināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ śrīmān api vṛkodaraḥ |
yuvābhyāṃ sahito vīraḥ kiṃ na kuryān mahāyaśāḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O Jagannātha, O Puruṣottama—be vigilant and devise the means by which this task may be swiftly fulfilled. As a sick man, bereft of dharma, kāma, and artha, suffers exceedingly and lets life slip away, so too I cannot live without you. Without Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna cannot endure; and without Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa cannot endure. For these two heroes who bear the name ‘Kṛṣṇa,’ there is none in the world who can overcome them—such is my faith. And this Vṛkodara (Bhīma) as well—foremost among the strong, radiant and illustrious—when joined with you two, what could he not accomplish?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength becomes ethically effective when aligned with righteous purpose and wise alliance: Yudhiṣṭhira frames Bhīma’s power as most decisive when joined to Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, implying that might should serve dharma through proper counsel and unity.
Yudhiṣṭhira is urging swift completion of a difficult undertaking by emphasizing the unbeatable combination of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, and adding that Bhīma—foremost among the strong—when accompanying them, can accomplish anything.