Shloka 13
Jarā’s Account and the Enthronement of Jarāsandha (जरासंधोत्पत्तिः अभिषेकश्च)
अक्षौहिणीनां तिसृणां पति: समरदर्पित: । राजा बृहद्रथो नाम मगधाधिपतिर्बली,मगधदेशमें बृहद्रथ नामसे प्रसिद्ध एक बलवान् राजा राज्य करते थे। वे तीन अक्षौहिणी सेनाओंके स्वामी और युद्धमें बड़े अभिमानके साथ लड़नेवाले थे
akṣauhīṇīnāṃ tisṛṇāṃ patiḥ samaradarpitaḥ | rājā bṛhadratho nāma magadhādhipatir balī ||
Kṛṣṇa berkata: “Di Magadha dahulu ada seorang raja perkasa bernama Bṛhadratha, penguasa Magadha. Dia memerintah tiga akṣauhiṇī bala tentera dan, mabuk dengan keangkuhan perang, bertempur dengan kesombongan kepahlawanan.”
कृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how immense power and military strength can be accompanied by battlefield pride (darpa). In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such pride is a moral vulnerability: it clouds judgment and often precedes downfall, reminding rulers that strength should be governed by restraint and dharma.
Kṛṣṇa is describing a prominent Magadhan king, Bṛhadratha, emphasizing his political stature and military capacity—three akṣauhiṇīs—and his aggressive, prideful disposition in war. This serves as background characterization within the broader account being narrated in this section of the Sabha Parva.