Shloka 24

Devanagari script

षडशीति: समानीता: शेषा राजंश्षतुर्दश । जरासंधेन राजानस्तत: क्रूरं प्रवर्त्स्यते,राजन! जरासंधने सौमेंसे छियासी (प्रतिशत) राजाओंको तो कैद कर लिया है, केवल चौदह (प्रतिशत) बाकी हैं। उनको भी बंदी बनानेके पश्चात्‌ वह क्रूर कर्ममें प्रवृत्त होगा

Transliteration

ṣaḍaśītiḥ samānītāḥ śeṣā rājan caturdaśa | jarāsandhena rājānas tataḥ krūraṁ pravartsyate ||

Translation

ఓ రాజా! జరాసంధుడు వందమందిలో ఎనభై ఆరు రాజులను ఇప్పటికే బంధించాడు; కేవలం పద్నాలుగు మాత్రమే మిగిలారు. వారినీ బంధించిన తరువాత అతడు మరింత క్రూరమైన కార్యాలలో ప్రవృత్తుడవుతాడు.

Word by Word

• षडशीतिḥ: eighty-six
• षडशीतिḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: षडशीति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समानीताḥ: brought together / collected (i.e., captured)
• समानीताḥ: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• शेषाḥ: remaining
• शेषाḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जरासंधेन: by Jarāsandha
• जरासंधेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरासंध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• क्रूरम्: cruel
• क्रूरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रवर्त्स्यते: will engage in / will proceed
• प्रवर्त्स्यते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: Future, 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Jarāsandha
• rājānaḥ (captured kings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that when a ruler driven by cruelty faces no restraint, oppression escalates: after subduing many, he seeks to complete domination and then turns to even harsher acts. Ethically, it implies the duty of righteous kings to check adharma before it grows.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa informs the addressed king that Jarāsandha has already imprisoned eighty-six kings and that only fourteen remain free. He predicts that once Jarāsandha captures the rest, he will proceed to further cruel actions—heightening the urgency for intervention.