Shloka 17
Jarāsandha’s Siege of Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma’s Victory, and the Founding of Dvārakā amid Kālayavana’s Threat
तावाह मागधो वीक्ष्य हे कृष्ण पुरुषाधम । न त्वया योद्धुमिच्छामि बालेनैकेन लज्जया । गुप्तेन हि त्वया मन्द न योत्स्ये याहि बन्धुहन् ॥ १७ ॥
tāv āha māgadho vīkṣya he kṛṣṇa puruṣādhama na tvayā yoddhum icchāmi bālenaikena lajjayā guptena hi tvayā manda na yotsye yāhi bandhu-han
Vua Magadha Jarāsandha nhìn cả hai và nói: “Hỡi Kṛṣṇa, kẻ hèn nhất trong loài người! Ta không muốn giao chiến một mình với ngươi, vì đánh với một đứa trẻ thì thật nhục nhã. Đồ ngu, ngươi cứ ẩn mình; hỡi kẻ giết bà con, hãy đi đi—ta sẽ không đánh với ngươi.”
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has interpreted Jarāsandha’s words as follows. Puruṣādhama can be understood as puruṣā adhamā yasmāt, meaning “Kṛṣṇa, to whom all men are inferior.” In other words, here Lord Kṛṣṇa is being addressed as “O Puruṣottama, best of living beings.” Similarly, the word guptena, “hidden,” indicates Lord Kṛṣṇa’s aspect of being in everyone’s heart and invisible to material vision. The words tvayā manda can also be divided, according to Sanskrit grammar, as tvayā amanda. In this case Jarāsandha is indicating that Kṛṣṇa is not foolish but rather most alert. The word bandhu was used by Jarāsandha in the sense of “relative,” since Lord Kṛṣṇa killed His maternal uncle, Kaṁsa. However, bandhu comes from the verb bandh, “to bind,” and therefore bandhu-han can be understood as “one who destroys the bondage of ignorance.” Similarly, the word yāhi, “please go,” indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa should approach the living beings and bless them to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
FAQs
This verse shows Jarāsandha appealing to the idea of “proper” combat—refusing to fight a youth and accusing Krishna of hiding—highlighting how warriors invoke dharma-arguments, sometimes sincerely and sometimes to mask pride or frustration.
Jarāsandha insults Krishna by alluding to Krishna’s role in the downfall of certain relatives and dynastic conflicts; it is a taunt meant to morally discredit Krishna during their confrontation.
Avoid judging the Lord or devotees through envy and insult; pride often dresses itself as “principle.” A devotee should cultivate humility, truthful speech, and steadiness even when provoked.