Shloka 34
तं॑ तु राजन विभु: शौरी राजानं बलिनां वरम् | स्मृत्वा पुरुषशार्दूल: शार्टूल्समविक्रमम्,जनमेजय! मनस्वी पुरुषोंमें सर्वश्रेष्ठ, सत्यप्रतिज्ञ, मनुष्योंमें सिंहके समान पराक्रमी, वसुदेवपुत्र एवं बलरामके छोटे भाई भगवान् मधुसूदनने दिव्य दृष्टिसे स्मरण करके यह जान लिया था कि सिंहके समान पराक्रमी, बलवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ और भयानक पुरुषार्थ प्रकट करनेवाला यह राजा जरासंध युद्धमें दूसरे वीरका भाग (वध्य) नियत किया गया है। यदुवंशियोंमेंसे किसीके हाथसे उसकी मृत्यु नहीं हो सकती, अतः ब्रह्माजीके आदेशकी रक्षा करनेके लिये उन्होंने स्वयं उसे मारनेकी इच्छा नहीं की
taṁ tu rājan vibhuḥ śaurī rājānaṁ balināṁ varam | smṛtvā puruṣaśārdūlaḥ śārdūlasamavikramam, janamejaya |
Vaiśampāyana said: O King Janamejaya, the all-powerful Śaurī (Kṛṣṇa), a tiger among men, called to mind that king—foremost among the strong, whose prowess matched that of a tiger. By his divine insight he understood the destined course: Jarāsandha’s fall in battle was fixed, yet it was not to come by the hand of the Yādavas. Therefore, to uphold the ordinance of Brahmā and the order of destiny, he did not himself wish to slay him, but sought the rightful means by which the appointed end could occur.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power must operate within dharma and cosmic order: even when capable, Kṛṣṇa restrains personal action to honor destiny and the higher ordinance (here linked with Brahmā’s decree), seeking a rightful agent and method rather than acting from mere ability.
Vaiśampāyana tells Janamejaya that Kṛṣṇa, by recollection and divine discernment, recognizes Jarāsandha as extraordinarily strong and understands that his death is fated in battle but not at the hands of the Yādavas; thus Kṛṣṇa does not choose to kill him directly and instead aligns events with the destined outcome.