Jarāsandha as Obstacle to the Rājasūya — Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Genealogical Brief
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13
तस्य सम्राड्गुणाहस्य भवत:ः कुरुनन्दन । राजसूयस्य समयं मन्यन्ते सुहृदस्तव,“कुरुनन्दन! आप तो सम्राटके गुणोंको पानेके सर्वथा योग्य हैं; अतः आपके हितैषी सुहृद् आपके द्वारा राजसूययज्ञके अनुष्ठानका यह उचित अवसर प्राप्त हुआ मानते हैं
tasya samrāḍ-guṇāhasya bhavataḥ kuru-nandana | rājasūyasya samayaṃ manyante suhṛdas tava ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “O ligaya ng angkan ng Kuru, ganap kang karapat-dapat sa mga katangiang nararapat sa isang emperador. Kaya ang iyong mga kaibigang tapat na nagmamalasakit sa iyong kapakanan ay naniniwalang ito ang wastong panahon upang isagawa mo ang handog na Rājasūya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Legitimate sovereignty is grounded in personal fitness—royal virtues and worthiness—so major political-religious acts like the Rājasūya should be undertaken when one is ethically and practically prepared, and with the counsel of genuine well-wishers.
In the Sabha Parva’s lead-up to Yudhiṣṭhira’s imperial rite, the narrator reports that his friends and supporters consider him fully qualified for emperorship and therefore see the present moment as the right occasion for him to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice.