JARAASANDHA: THE HURDLE

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA - SABHA PARVA - RAAJASOOYA AARAMBHA (UPA) PARVA - CHAPTER 14(A) - JARAASANDHA: THE HURDLE

“(Sri) Krishna said, ‘O great king (Maharaaja in Sanskrit), you are a worthy possessor of all the qualities (Guna in Sanskrit) essential for the performance of the Raajasooya yagna. You know everything, O Bharata (Yudhishthira). I shall, however, still tell you something. Those persons in the world that now go by the name of Kshatriyas are inferior (in everything) to those Kshatriyas that (Parashu) Rama, the son of (Rishi) Jamadagni, exterminated. O lord of the earth, O bull of the Bharata race (Yudhishthira), you know what form of rule these Kshatriyas, guided by the instructions traditionally handed down from generation to generation, have established among their own order (Kshatriya), and how far they are competent to perform the Raajasooya yagna. The numerous royal lines and other Kshatriyas all represent themselves to be the descendants (Vamsha in Sanskrit) of Yela and Ikshwaaku. The descendants of Yela (Yela Vamsha in Sanskrit), O king (Yudhishthira), as, indeed, the kings of Ikshwaaku’s race, are, know O bull of the Bharata race, each divided into a hundred separate dynasties. The descendants of Yayaati and Bhojaas are great, both in extent (number) and accomplishments. O great king (Yudhishthira), these last are today scattered all over the earth. All the Kshatriyas worship the prosperity of those monarchs.

“At present, however, O monarch (Yudhishthira), king Jaraasandha, overcoming that prosperity enjoyed by their whole order (of Kshatriyas), and overpowering them by his energy has set himself over the heads of all these kings. Jaraasandha, enjoying the sovereignty over the middle portion of the earth (Mathura), resolved to create a disunion among ourselves. O monarch (Yudhishthira), the king who is the supreme lord of all kings, and in whom alone the dominion of the universe is centered, properly deserves to be called an emperor. O monarch (Yudhishthira), king Shishupaala filled with great energy, has placed himself under his (Jaraasandha’s) protection and has become the generalissimo (Senaapati in Sanskrit) of his forces. O great king (Yudhishthira), the mighty Vakra, the king of Karooshaas, capable of fighting by putting forth his powers of illusion (Maayaa in Sanskrit), waits upon Jaraasandha, as his disciple. There are two others, Hamsa and Dimbhakaa, of great energy (Maha Veerya in Sanskrit) and Mahatma, who have sought the shelter of the mighty Jarasandha. In addition, there are others – Dantavakra, Karoosha, Kalabhaa, Meghavaahana, that wait upon Jaraasandha. Also, he that bears on his head that gem which is known as the most wonderful on earth, that king of Yavanaas, who has punished Mura and Naraka, whose power is unlimited, and who rules the west like another Varuna, who is called Bhagadattaa, and who is the old friend of your father, has bowed his head before Jaraasandha, by speech and specially by act. In his heart, however, tied as he is by affection to you, he regards you as a father regards his child. O king (Yudhishthira), that lord of the earth who has his territory on the west and the south, who is your maternal uncle and who is called Purujit, that brave perpetuator of the Kunti race, that slayer of all enemies, is the single king that regards you from affection.

“He whom I did not formerly slay, that wicked wretch (Durmati in Sanskrit) among Chedis, who represented himself in this world as a divine personage and who has become known also as such, and who always bears, from foolishness, the signs that distinguish me (like Shankha, Chakra, etc.) that king of Vanga Pundra and Kiraataas, endowed with great strength, and who is known on earth by the names of Paundrakaa and Vaasudeva has also embraced the side of Jaraasandha. O king of kings, Bhishmaka, the mighty king of the Bhojas – the friend of (Lord) Indra – the slayer of hostile heroes – who governs a fourth part of the world, who by his learning conquered Paandyaas and Kratha-Kaushikaas, whose brother the brave Aahruti was like (Parashu) Rama, the son of (Rishi) Jamadagni, has become a devotee to the king of Magadha (Jaraasandha). We are his (Bhishmaka’s) relatives and are, therefore, engaged everyday in doing what is agreeable to him. But although we regard him much, still he regards us not and is engaged in doing us ill. O king (Yudhishthira), without knowing his own strength and the dignity of the race to which he belongs, he (Bhishmaka) has placed himself under Jaraasandha’s shelter at sight of the latter’s blazing fame alone.

“O noble one, the eighteen tribes of the Bhojas, from fear of Jaraasandha, have all fled towards the west; so also have the Shoorasenaas, Bhadrakaaraas, Bodhaas, Shaalvaas, Patachcharaas, Sustharaas, Sukuttaas, Kulindaas, along with the Kuntis. The king of the Shaalveyaanaa tribe with their brothers and followers; and the southern Paanchaalaas and the eastern Koshalaas have all fled to the country of the Kuntis. So, also the Matsyaas and the Sannyastapaadaas, overcome with fear, leaving their dominions in the north, have fled into the southern country. So, all the Paanchaalaas, alarmed at the power of Jaraasandha, have left their own kingdom and fled in all directions.

“Some time before, the foolish Kamsa, having oppressed Yaadavaas, married two of the daughters of Jaraasandha. They are called Asti and Praapti and are sisters of Sahadeva (not Yudhishthira’s brother Sahadeva). Strengthened by such an alliance, the fool oppressing his relatives gained an ascendency over them all. But by this conduct he earned great disgrace. The wretch (Duraatma in Sanskrit) also began to oppress the old kings of the Bhoja tribe, but they, to protect themselves from the oppression of their relative, sought our help. Having given upon Akroora the beautiful daughter of Aahuka, with Sankarshana as second, I did a service to my relatives, for both Kamsa and Sunaamaana were slain by me assisted by (Bala) Rama. But after the immediate cause of fear was removed (by the death of Kamsa), Jarasandha, his father-in-law, took up arms.

“Ourselves consisting of the eighteen younger branches of the Yaadavaas arrived at the conclusion that even if we strike our enemies continually with excellent weapons capable of taking the lives of enemies, we should still be unable to do anything to him even in three hundred years. He has two friends that are like to the immortals, and in point of strength the foremost of all men filled with strength. They are called Hamsa and Dimbhakaa who are both incapable of being slain by weapons. The mighty Jaraasandha, being united with them, becomes incapable, I think, of being vanquished by the three worlds. O you foremost of all intelligent men (Yudhishthira), this is not our opinion alone, but all other kings also are of the same mind.’