Shloka 10

Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)

Devanagari script

स साम्राज्यं महाराज प्राप्तो भवति योगत: । तं स राजा जरासंध॑ संश्रित्य किल सर्वश:

Transliteration

sa sāmrājyaṃ mahārāja prāpto bhavati yogataḥ | taṃ sa rājā jarāsandhaḥ saṃśritya kila sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

ఓ మహారాజా, అతడు తన సుశాసిత వ్యూహబలంతో సామ్రాజ్యాన్ని పొందుతాడు. మరియు ఆ రాజు జరాసంధుడు ఆపై అన్ని విధాలా అతనినే ఆశ్రయించి, తన కార్యసాధనకు పూర్తిగా అతనిపై ఆధారపడతాడని చెబుతారు.

Word by Word

सःhe

साम्राज्यम्sovereignty, imperial rule

महाराजO great king

प्राप्तःhaving obtained, attained

भवतिbecomes

योगतःby means of yoga; through (his) effort/discipline

तम्him

सःhe

राजाthe king

जरासन्धःJarasandha

संश्रित्यhaving resorted to; having taken refuge in

किलindeed, it is said

सर्वशःentirely; in every way

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrīkṛṣṇa

Jarāsandha

Mahārāja (addressed king, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)

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 highlights how sovereignty can be attained through disciplined, skillful means (yogataḥ), but also warns implicitly that political power often creates webs of dependence—where a stronger ruler (Jarāsandha) may appropriate or control another by making him a total instrument or support.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrīkṛṣṇa describes a king who gains imperial status through his own strategic capability, and then notes that Jarāsandha reportedly relies upon (or takes hold of) that king completely—suggesting Jarāsandha’s expanding influence through alliances, subordination, or political patronage.