Shloka 21
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत सभापव॑के अन्तर्गत जरासंधवधपर्वमें श्रीकृष्णजरासंधरसंवादविषयक इक्कीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ,हमारे साथ जो तुम्हारा युद्ध होनेवाला है, वह तुम्हारे लिये जैसा स्वर्गलोककी प्राप्तिका साधक हो सकता है, वैसा युद्ध और किसको सुलभ है? मेरे पास बहुत बड़ी सेना एवं शक्ति है, इस घमंडमें आकर मगधदेशकी अगणित सेनाओंद्वारा तुम दूसरोंका अपमान न करो। राजन! प्रत्येक मनुष्यमें बल एवं पराक्रम होता है। महाराज! किसीमें तुम्हारे समान तेज है तो किसीमें तुमसे अधिक भी है
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate sabhāparvaṇi antargata-jarāsandhavadha-parvaṇi śrīkṛṣṇa-jarāsandha-saṁvāda-viṣayaka ekaviṁśatitamo ’dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ | asmābhiḥ saha yo yuddhaṁ tava bhaviṣyati, sa tava yathā svargaloka-prāpti-sādhakaḥ syāt, tathā yuddhaḥ kasya sulabhaḥ? mama pārśve mahān balavāhinī ca śaktir asti—ity asmin garveṇa māgadha-deśasya agaṇita-senābhiḥ pareṣām apamānaṁ mā kṛthāḥ | rājan! pratyeka-manuṣye balaṁ ca parākramaś ca vidyate | mahārāja! kasyacid tava-samaṁ tejaḥ, kasyacid api tvatto ’dhikaṁ bhavati |
Thus ends the twenty-first chapter in the Jarāsandha-slaying section within the Sabhā Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, dealing with the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Jarāsandha. “The battle that is about to take place between you and us—what other battle could be so readily available to anyone, and so capable of becoming for you a means to attain heaven? Do not, intoxicated by the pride that you possess a vast army and great power, use the countless forces of Magadha to insult and oppress others. O king, every person has strength and valor. O great king, in some there is brilliance equal to yours, and in some there is brilliance even greater than yours.”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Śrī Kṛṣṇa warns against arrogance born of armies and power: a king should not humiliate others through brute force. True kṣatriya honor lies in righteous conduct and recognizing that valor and brilliance exist in many—some equal, some greater—so pride is ethically dangerous.
In the context of the Kṛṣṇa–Jarāsandha exchange, Kṛṣṇa frames the impending combat as a rare, honor-bearing opportunity (even a heaven-leading act when aligned with kṣatriya duty) and admonishes Jarāsandha not to misuse Magadha’s vast forces to oppress other rulers.