Shloka 9
Jarāsandha’s Sieges and the Lord’s Human-Conforming Strategy
Rāja-dharma as Līlā
जिते तस्मिन् सुदुर्वृत्ते जरासंधे महामुने जीवमाने गते कृष्णस् तं नामन्यत निर्जितम्
jite tasmin sudurvṛtte jarāsaṃdhe mahāmune jīvamāne gate kṛṣṇas taṃ nāmanyata nirjitam
O great sage, though the wicked Jarāsandha had been overcome, as long as he still lived and could return again, Kṛṣṇa did not regard him as truly vanquished.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To remove persistent sources of adharma; mere setback of evil is insufficient until the threat is decisively ended.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Sustained protection of dharma through prudence and complete neutralization of recurring adharma
Concept: Dharma requires vigilance: as long as a harmful power retains capacity to recur, one should not mistake temporary success for true victory.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: In personal life, address root causes (habits, systems, injustices) rather than celebrating partial wins; maintain steady effort until relapse is unlikely.
Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s conduct models dharmic intelligence (nīti) within the world, showing divine guidance expressed through practical wisdom.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
The verse distinguishes momentary battlefield success from final resolution: as long as Jarāsandha remains alive and capable of returning, Krishna does not call the conflict conclusively won.
Through narrative judgment: Parāśara shows Krishna as weighing outcomes by their lasting effect on dharma and security, not by a single encounter’s result.
Krishna appears as Vishnu’s sovereign intelligence—upholding order through discernment and strategy—where divine purpose is measured by enduring protection of dharma rather than transient triumph.