Shloka 16

Jarāsandha as Obstacle to the Rājasūya — Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Genealogical Brief

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13

Devanagari script

अभिहर्तु नृपा: षट्सु पृथग्‌ जात्यैश्व नैगमै: । ववृधे विषयस्तत्र धर्मनित्ये युधिषछ्ठिरे

Transliteration

abhihartu nṛpāḥ ṣaṭsu pṛthag jātyaiś ca naigamaiḥ | vavṛdhe viṣayas tatra dharmanitye yudhiṣṭhire ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಅಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ಜಾತಿಗಳ ಆರು ವರ್ಗಗಳವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ವಿವಿಧ ನೈಗಮಗಳು (ಶ್ರೇಣಿಗಳು/ನಗರಸಂಘಗಳು) ಸೇರಿ ರಾಜರು ತೆರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸೇವೆಯನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಲು ಮುಂದಾದರು. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಧರ್ಮನಿಷ್ಠ ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನ ಆಡಳಿತದಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಪತ್ತು ವೃದ್ಧಿಯಾಯಿತು.

Word by Word

अभिहर्तुंto take away / to seize

नृपाःkings

षट्सुamong six / in six (groups)

पृथक्separately

जात्यैःby classes / by castes

चand

नैगमैःby guilds/merchants (trading groups)

ववृधेincreased / grew

विषयःrealm / dominion

तत्रthere

धर्मनित्येin (him) ever steadfast in dharma

युधिष्ठिरेin Yudhishthira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

nṛpāḥ (kings/rulers)

naigamāḥ (merchants/guilds/townsmen)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links political prosperity to ethical rule: when a king is dharma-nitya (steadfast in righteousness), diverse groups—other rulers and civic/mercantile bodies—willingly support the realm, and the kingdom’s resources and stability grow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the expansion and flourishing of Yudhiṣṭhira’s dominion: various kings and organized social-economic groups come forward to offer tribute/service, and the realm’s viṣaya (domain and revenues) increases under his dharmic leadership.