RAJASUYARAMBHA PARVA: Chapter 19

Praise of Jarasandha,

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच कस्यचित् त्वथ कालस्य पुनरेव महातपाः। मगधेषूपचक्राम भगवांश्चण्डकौशिकः॥
Krishna said Sometime after, the great ascetic the illustrious Chandakaushika came again to the kingdom of Magadha

तस्यागमनसंहृष्टः सामात्यः पुरःसरः। सभार्य: सह पुत्रेण निर्जगाम बृहद्रथः॥
Being overjoyed at the arrival of the Rishi, Brihadratha with his ministers, priest, his son and wives went out to receive him.

पाद्यार्थ्याचमनीयैस्तमर्चयामास भारत। स नृपो राज्यसहितं पुत्रं तस्मै न्यवेदयत्॥
O descendant of Bharata, worshipping the Rishi with water to wash his feet and with Arghya, the king offered him his on with the whole of his kingdom.

प्रतिगृह्य च तां पूजां पार्थिवाद् भगवानृषिः। उवाच मागधं राजन् प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना॥
O king, the illustrious Rishi accepted the worship of the king and thus spoke to the king of Magadha with a delightful heart.

सर्वमेतन्मया ज्ञातं राजन् दिव्येन चक्षुषा। पुत्रस्तु शृणु राजेन्द्र यादृशोऽयं भविष्यति॥
O king, everything is known to me thought my spiritual sight. O king of kings, hear what this your son will be.

अस्य रूपं च सत्त्वं च बलमूर्जितमेव च। एष श्रिया समुदितः पुत्रस्तव न संशयः॥ प्रापयिष्यति तत् सर्वं विक्रमेण समन्वितः। अस्य वीर्यवतो वीर्यं नानुयास्यन्ति पार्थिवाः॥
(Hear also) what will be his beauty, excellence, strength and courage. There is not the least doubt that your this son will grow in prosperity and will obtain them, endued as he is with great prowess. No king will be able to equal your greatly powerful son in prowess,

पततो वैनतेयस्य गतिमन्ये यथा खगाः। विनाशमुपयास्यन्ति ये चास्य परिपन्थिनः॥
As other birds, can never equal the speed of Vainata's son (Garuda). All those that will stand in his way will meet with certain destruction.

देवैरपि विसृष्टानि शस्त्राण्यस्य महीपते। न रुजं जनयिष्यन्ति गिरेरिव नदीरयाः॥
O king, as the river can make no impression on the mountain, so the weapons hurled upon him even by the celestials will not be able to make any impression on him.

सर्वमूर्धाभिषिक्तानामेष मूनि ज्वलिष्यति। प्रभाहरोऽयं सर्वेषां ज्योतिषामिव भास्करः॥
He will blaze forth above the heads of all that wear crowns on their heads. Like the sun he will rob all other kings of their splendour.

एनमासाद्य राजानः समृद्धबलवाहनाः। विनाशमुपयास्यन्ति शलभा इव पावकम्॥
The kings who are rich in their armies and troops will meet with destruction at the hand of your son like insects in the fire.

एष श्रियः समुदिताः सर्वराज्ञां ग्रहीष्यति। वर्षास्विवोदीर्णजला नदीनदनदीपतिः॥
He will seize the growing prosperity of all the kings, as the ocean receives the rivers swollen with the waters of the rainy season.

एष धारयिता सम्यक् चातुर्वण्र्यं महाबलः। शुभाशुभमिव स्फीता सर्वसस्यधरा धरा॥
As the wide earth bears all kinds of produce and supports those that are both good and bad, your this greatly powerful son will support all the people of the four orders.

अस्याज्ञावशगाः सर्वे भविष्यन्ति नराधिपाः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्य वायोरिव शरीरिणः॥
All the kings will remain obedient to him, as all embodied beings remain obedient to the wind, which is as dear to beings as the self.

एष रुद्र महादेवं त्रिपुरान्तकरं हरम्। सर्वलोकेष्वतिबलः साक्षाद् द्रक्ष्यति मागधः॥
This Magadha prince, this mightiest of all mighty men in the world, will see with his physical eyes the god of gods, Rudra, the slayer of Tripura, Hara.”

एवं ब्रुवन्नेव मुनिः सवकार्यमिव चिन्तयन्। विसर्जयामास नृपं बृहद्रथमथारिहन्॥
Having said this, the Rishi, thinking of his own business, dismissed that layer of foes, the king Brihadratha.

प्रविश्य नगरीं चापि ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिभिर्वृतः। अभिषिच्य जरासंधं मगधाधिपतिस्तदा॥
The Magadha king then re-entered his capital; and summoning all his friends and relatives, he installed Jarasandha on the throne.

बृहद्रथो नरपतिः परां निर्वृतिमाययौ। अभिषिक्ते जरासंधे तदा राजा बृहद्रथः। पत्नीद्वयेनानुगतस्तपोवनचरोऽभवत्॥
The king Brihadratha became greatly disgusted with all worldly pleasures. After the installation of Jarasandha, the king Brihadratha followed by his two waives went into a forest to lead the life of an ascetic.

ततो वनस्थे पितरि मात्रोश्चैव विशाम्पते। जरासंध स्ववीर्येण पार्थिवानकरोद् वशे॥
O king, after his father and mother had retired into the forest, Jarasandha brought numerous kings under his sway by his velour.

वैशम्पायन उवाच अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य तपोवनचरो नृपः। सभार्यः स्वर्गमगमत् तपस्तप्त्वा बृहद्रथः॥
Vaishampayana said Having lived for a long time in the forest and practiced asceticism, (the king) Brihadratha ascended to heaven with his wives.

जरासंधोऽपि नृपतिर्यथोक्तं कौशिकेन तत्। वरप्रदानमखिलं प्राप्य राज्यमपालयत्॥
As told by Kaushika, the king Jarasandha received the boons and ruled the kingdom after obtaining the (sovereignty of the) whole world.

निहते वासुदेवेन तदा कंसे महीपतौ। जातो वै वैरनिर्बन्धः कृष्णेन सह तस्य वै॥
Sometime after, when the king Kansa was killed by Vasudeva (Krishna), an enmity arose between him and Krishna.

भ्रामयित्वा शतगुणमेकोनं येन भारत। गदा क्षिप्ता बलवता मागधेन गिरिव्रजात्॥
O descendant of Bharata, the greatly powerful king of Magadha whirled a club ninety nine times and he hurled it towards Mathura from Girivraja (his capital).

तिष्ठतो मथुरायां वै कृष्णस्याद्भुतकर्मणः। एकोनयोजनशते सा पपात गदा शुभा॥
Krishna of wonderful deeds was then living in Mathura. That excellent club fell at a distance of ninety-nine Yojanas.

दृष्ट्वा पौरैस्तदा सम्यग् गदा चैव निवेदिता। गदावसानं तत् ख्यातं मथुरायाः समीपतः॥
Seeing well all the circumstances the citizens (of Mathura) all went to Krishna and told him all about the fall of the club. The place where the club fell was near Mathura, and it was known by the name of Gadavasana.

तस्यास्तां हंसडिम्भकावशस्त्रनिधनावुभौ। मन्त्रे मतिमतां श्रेष्ठौ नीतिशास्त्रे विशारदौ॥
He (Jarasandha) had two supporters named Hansa and Dimbhaka, both incapable of being killed by any weapons, both were learned in the science of politics and morality, and both were in counsel foremost of all intelligent men.

यौ तौ मया ते कथितौ पूर्वमेव महाबलौ। त्रयस्त्रयाणां लोकानां पर्याप्ता इति मे मतिः॥
I have already told you before every thing about these two greatly powerful heroes. My opinion is that these two heroes and Jarasandha were more than a match for the three worlds.

एवमेव तदा वीर बलिभिः कुकुरान्धकैः। वृष्णिभिश्च महाराज नीतिहेतोरुपेक्षितः॥
O hero, O great king, it was for this reason that the powerful Akrura, Andhaka and Vrishni tribes, acting from policy, did not fight with him (Jarasandha).