Shloka 16

Jarāsandha’s Sieges and the Lord’s Human-Conforming Strategy

Rāja-dharma as Līlā

Devanagari script

तथापि ये मनुष्याणां धर्मास् तदनुवर्तनम् कुर्वन् बलवता संधिं हीनैर् युद्धं करोत्य् असौ

Transliteration

tathāpi ye manuṣyāṇāṃ dharmās tadanuvartanam kurvan balavatā saṃdhiṃ hīnair yuddhaṃ karoty asau

Translation

Yet, conforming to the practical dharmas ordained for human society, he makes peace with the powerful and wages war against the weaker.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अपि: even/though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Subject), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of men/humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन

• धर्माः: duties/laws
• धर्माः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Subject), बहुवचन

• तत्-अनुवर्तनम्: following that (conduct)
• तत्-अनुवर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अनुवर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तेषां/तस्य अनुवर्तनम्)

• कुर्वन्: doing/practising
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बलवता: with the strong (one)
• बलवता: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (सह/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संधिम्: alliance/treaty
• संधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

• हीनैः: with the weak (ones)
• हीनैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (सह/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• युद्धम्: war
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

• करोति: does/makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within a rāja-dharma discourse)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To model human social-political dharma while ensuring protection of the righteous through appropriate statecraft.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Rāja-dharma (orderly governance and protection)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even the Supreme, when acting among humans, follows humanly ordained dharmas to uphold social order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice situational discernment (yukti) aligned with dharma—firmness toward harm, conciliation where it preserves peace.

Vishishtadvaita: Shows the Lord’s immanence within worldly norms: He freely assumes human conduct without losing transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Humans (manuṣyāḥ)
• Kings/Rulers (implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of alliances and war in the Vishnu Purana’s teaching on dharma?

This verse treats statecraft as part of lived dharma: maintaining order may require peace with stronger powers and conflict with weaker aggressors, emphasizing stability and protection as ethical aims.

How does Sage Parāśara explain contextual dharma in governance?

Parāśara presents dharma as something implemented through real decisions—such as sandhi and yuddha—so that a ruler’s actions align with preserving social order rather than rigidly clinging to one tactic.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the teaching presumes dharma as Vishnu’s sustaining principle in the world: political conduct is evaluated by how well it supports the ordered maintenance (sthiti) associated with the Supreme Reality.