Shloka 68

Devanagari script

यदि त्वेनं महाराज यज्ञ प्राप्तुम भीप्ससि । यतस्व तेषां मोक्षाय जरासंधवधाय च,राजन! यदि आप इस यज्ञको पूर्णरूपसे सम्पन्न करना चाहते हैं तो उन कैदी राजाओंको छुड़ाने और जरासंधको मारनेका प्रयत्न कीजिये

Transliteration

yadi tvenam mahārāja yajñaṃ prāptum abhīpsasi | yatasva teṣāṃ mokṣāya jarāsandha-vadhāya ca ||

Translation

ஸ்ரீகிருஷ்ணர் கூறினார்—மஹாராஜா, இந்த யாகத்தை அதன் நோக்கத்திற்கேற்ப நிறைவேற்ற விரும்பினால், கைதான அரசர்களை விடுவிக்கவும் ஜராசந்தனை வதைக்கவும் முயலுங்கள்.

Word by Word

यदिif

त्वाyou (object-form, enclitic)

एनम्this (him/it)

महाराजO great king

यज्ञम्sacrifice, yajña

प्राप्तुम्to obtain/attain

भीप्ससिyou desire, you wish

यतस्वstrive, make effort

तेषाम्of them

मोक्षायfor the release

जरासन्ध-वधायfor the slaying of Jarāsandha

चand

राजन्O king

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Mahārāja (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied addressee in context)

Jarāsandha

imprisoned kings

yajña (sacrifice)

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?

A righteous sacrifice cannot be pursued in isolation from dharma: the king must remove oppression (free the captive rulers) and eliminate the adharma-based obstacle (Jarāsandha). Ethical responsibility and protection of others are presented as prerequisites for legitimate ritual success.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the context of planning a major royal sacrifice, Kṛṣṇa advises the king that the rite’s fulfillment requires decisive action: rescuing the kings held captive by Jarāsandha and confronting Jarāsandha himself. The counsel links political action and moral duty to the completion of the yajña.