Shloka 13

Jarāsandha–Bhīma Niyuddha-prastāvaḥ

Commencement of the Regulated Duel

Devanagari script

वार्ष्णेय: पाण्डवौ चैव प्रतस्थुर्मागधं पुरम्‌ । हृष्टपुष्टजनोपेतं चातुर्वर्ण्यसमाकुलम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! ऐसी बातें करते हुए वे सभी महातेजस्वी भाई श्रीकृष्ण, अर्जुन और भीमसेन मगधकी राजधानीमें प्रवेश करनेके लिये चल पड़े। वह नगर चारों वर्णोके लोगोंसे भरा-पूरा था। उसमें रहनेवाले सभी लोग हृष्ट-पुष्ट दिखायी देते थे

Transliteration

vārṣṇeyaḥ pāṇḍavau caiva pratasthur māgadhaṃ puram | hṛṣṭa-puṣṭa-janopetaṃ cāturvarṇya-samākulam ||

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：“瓦尔什涅耶（圣克里希那）与两位般度子启程前往摩揭陀城。那都城里尽是欢悦而丰足的百姓，四姓之众熙攘云集。”

Word by Word

वार्ष्णेयःVārṣṇeya (Krishna, descendant of Vṛṣṇi)

पाण्डवौthe two Pāṇḍavas

चand

एवindeed/just

प्रतस्थुःset out / departed

मागधम्Magadhan (of Magadha)

पुरम्city

हृष्टपुष्टजनोपेतम्attended/filled with delighted and well-nourished people

चातुर्वर्ण्यसमाकुलम्crowded with the four varṇas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vārṣṇeya (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍavas (two, contextually Arjuna and Bhīma)

Magadha

Magadha-pura (the capital city)

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 presents an ethical-political backdrop: a thriving city with a functioning social order. It implies that the pursuit of power or justice (dharma) occurs amid real communities whose welfare matters; righteous action should be mindful of societal stability and prosperity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Vārṣṇeya) and two Pāṇḍavas depart for and enter the Magadhan capital, described as populous and prosperous, setting the scene for the ensuing encounter in Magadha (connected with the Jarāsandha narrative in Sabha Parva).