Shloka 5
अर्जुनस्य दिग्विजयारम्भः — Arjuna Initiates the Northern Campaign and Secures Bhagadattta’s Tribute
कृतस्वस्त्ययनो राजा ब्राह्मणेन यशस्विना । समनहाज्जरासंध: क्षात्रं धर्ममनुस्मरन्,यशस्वी ब्राह्मणके द्वारा स्वस्तिवाचन सम्पन्न हो जानेपर जरासंध क्षत्रियधर्मका स्मरण करके युद्धके लिये कमर कसकर तैयार हो गया
kṛtasvastyayano rājā brāhmaṇena yaśasvinā | samanahāj jarāsandhaḥ kṣātraṃ dharmam anusmaran ||
After the auspicious benedictions had been duly performed by a renowned brāhmaṇa, King Jarāsandha—remembering the warrior’s code of kṣatriya-dharma—girded himself and made ready for battle. The verse frames his preparation not as mere aggression, but as an act he justifies through ritual sanction and the ethical ideal of royal duty.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal action is framed through dharma: Jarāsandha’s readiness for war is presented as grounded in kṣatriya-duty and preceded by ritual auspiciousness, showing the epic’s linkage of ethics, social role, and sanctioned action.
A renowned brāhmaṇa completes the auspicious blessing rite for the king; immediately afterward Jarāsandha, recalling the warrior code, girds himself and prepares to engage in battle.