Jarāsandha–Vāsudeva Saṃvāda: Kṣātra-Dharma, Pride, and the Ethics of Coercion
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 20
मयि नीतिर्बलं भीमे रक्षिता चावयोर्जय: । मागध॑ साधयिष्याम इष्टिं त्रय इवाग्नय:
mayi nītir balaṁ bhīme rakṣitā cāvayor jayaḥ | māgadhaṁ sādhayiṣyāma iṣṭiṁ traya ivāgnayaḥ ||
风神伐由说道:“我具尼提与正策;毗摩具无双之力;阿周那则护佑我二人,并为胜利作保。故而正如祭祀中三圣火同心使祭仪圆满,我们三人合一,必能成就诛灭摩揭陀之王——阇罗桑陀——之业。”
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse teaches coordinated dharmic action: success arises when prudence (nīti), strength (bala), and protection/support (rakṣaṇa) work together. It frames political and martial duty as disciplined, purposeful, and ethically ordered—like a sacrifice completed only when all essential elements cooperate.
Vāyu-deva (invoked as Bhīma’s divine source) expresses confidence that the trio—strategic counsel, Bhīma’s might, and Arjuna’s safeguarding presence—will together accomplish the mission of killing Jarāsandha, the powerful king of Magadha, using the analogy of the three ritual fires that complete a sacrifice.