Shloka 2
Jarāsandha-nipātana, rāja-mokṣa, and rājasūya-sāhāyya-prārthanā
Jarāsandha’s fall, liberation of kings, and request for support
वैकृते वासति कं मन्यध्वं मामनागसम् | अरें वै ब्रूत हे विप्रा: सतां समय एष हि,विप्रगण! जब मुझसे अपराध ही नहीं हुआ है, तब मुझ निरपराधको आपलोग शत्रु कैसे मान रहे हैं? यह बताइये। क्या यही साधु पुरुषोंका बर्ताव है?
vaikṛte vāsati kaṃ manyadhvaṃ mām anāgasam | areṃ vai brūta he viprāḥ satāṃ samaya eṣa hi ||
Jarāsandha said: “As I dwell here in this altered and troubled circumstance, why do you regard me—who am without fault—as an enemy? Speak plainly, O brāhmaṇas. Is this truly the accepted conduct and compact of the righteous?”
जरासंध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical challenge: the righteous (sat) are expected to follow a recognized standard of fair conduct (samaya). Jarāsandha appeals to norms of justice—do not treat someone as an enemy without established fault—and demands transparent reasoning.
Jarāsandha addresses brāhmaṇas and protests being treated as an enemy despite claiming innocence. He presses them to state their grounds openly and questions whether their stance aligns with the accepted conduct of virtuous people.