जरासंध उवाच न स्मरामि कदा वैरं कृतं युष्माभिरित्युत। चिन्तयंश्च न पश्यामि भवतां प्रति वैकृतम्॥
Jarasandha said I do not recollect when I have ever done you any injury. After careful reflection, I cannot recollect the injury I have done you.
वैकृते वासति कथं मन्यध्वं मामनागसम्। अरिं वै ब्रूत हे विप्राः सतां समय एष हि॥
O Brahmanas, when I have never done you any harm, why do you consider me, who am innocent, as your enemy? Tell me truly, for this is the rule followed by the honest.
अथ धर्मोपघाताद्धि मनः समुपतप्यते। योऽनागसि प्रसजति क्षत्रियो हि न संशयः॥ अतोऽन्यथा चरँल्लोके धर्मज्ञः सन् महारथः। वृजिनां गतिमाप्नोति श्रेयसोऽप्युपहन्ति च।॥
If injury is done to one's Dharma and Artha, the mind feels pain. Even a great carwarrior, well versed in all the precepts of morality, gets the fate of sinners and falls off from prosperity, if he injures an innocent man.
त्रैलोक्ये क्षत्रधर्मो हि श्रेयान् वै साधुचारिणाम्। नान्यं धर्मं प्रशंसन्ति ये च धर्मविदो जनाः॥
For honest men the practices of the Kshatriyas are the best in the three worlds. The men that are learned in the precepts of virtue praise nothing else (then the practices of the Kshatriyas).
तस्य मेऽद्य स्थितस्येह स्वधर्मे नियतात्मनः। अनागसं प्रजानां च प्रमादादिव जल्पथ॥
I adhere to the practices of my order with a steadily soul. I never injure any of my subjects. In bringing this charge against me, it appears you speck in error.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच कुलकार्यं महाबाहो कश्चिदेकः कुलोद्वहः। वहते यस्तन्नियोगाद् वयमभ्युद्यतास्त्वयि॥
Krishna said O mighty-armed (hero), there is one who upholds the dignity of a (royal) line. We have come against you at his command.
त्वया चोपहृता राजन् क्षत्रिया लोकवासिनः। तदागः क्रूरमुत्पाद्य मन्यसे किमनागसम्॥
O king, the Kshatriyas of the world have been brought captive by you. Having done this cruel wrong, how do you consider yourself innocent?
राजा राज्ञः कथं साधून् हिंस्यानृपतिसत्तम। तद् राज्ञः संनिगृह्य त्वं रुद्रायोपजिहीर्षसि॥
O best of kings, how can a man, being a king himself, act cruelly against other virtuous kings? After persecuting them, you want to offer them as sacrifices to Rudra.
अस्मांस्तदेनो गच्छेद्धि कृतं वार्हद्रथ त्वया। वयं हि शक्ता धर्मस्य रक्षणे धर्मचारिणः॥
O son of Brihadratha, this sin, committed by you, may even touch us. We practise virtue, and we are capable of protecting virtue.
मनुष्याणां समालम्भो न च दृष्टः कदाचन। स कथं मानुषैर्देवं यष्टुमिच्छसि शङ्करम्॥
The slaughter of human beings as sacrifice to the gods is never seen. Why do you then desire to sacrifice human beings to the god Sankara?
सवर्णो हि सवर्णानां पशुसंज्ञां करिष्यसि। कोऽन्य एव यथा हि त्वं जरासंध वृथामतिः॥
You are calling all men belonging to your own orders as beasts. O Jarasandha, foolish as you are, who else is capable of doing it?
यस्यां यस्यामवस्थायां यद्यत् कर्म करोति यः। तस्यां तस्यामवस्थायां तत्फलं समवाप्नुयात्॥
Whatever actions are performed by a man under whatever circumstances, he gets the fruits of those those actions under whatever circumstances they may be performed.
ते त्वां ज्ञातिक्षयकरं वयमार्तानुसारिणः। ज्ञातिवृद्धिनिमित्तार्थं विनिहन्तुमिहागताः॥
We are desirous of helping all distiessed people. For the Prosperity of our race, we have come here to kill you, the slayer of our relatives.
नास्ति लोके पुमानन्यः क्षत्रियेष्विति चैव तत्। मन्यसे स च ते राजन् सुमहान् बुद्धिविप्लवः॥
O king, you consider there is not a Kshatriya equal to you in the world; it is a great error of your judgement.
को हि जानन्नभिजनमात्मवान् क्षत्रियो नृप। नाविशेत् स्वर्गमतुलं रणानन्तरमव्ययम्॥
O king, what Kshatriya is there who, possessing greatness of mind and recollecting the dignity of his own parentage, would not ascend the unrivalled heaven by falling on the field of battle?
स्वर्गं ह्येव समास्थाय रणयज्ञेषु दीक्षिताः। जयन्ति क्षत्रिया लोकांस्तद् विद्धि मनुजर्षभ॥
O best of men, know that Kshatriyas, being installed in the sacrifice of war with the view of heaven before them, conquer the whole world.
स्वर्गयोनिर्महद् ब्रह्म स्वर्गयोनिर्महद् यशः। स्वर्गयोनिस्तपो युद्धे मृत्युः सोऽव्यभिचारवान्॥
The study of Brahma, great fame ascetic penances and death in battle are acts that lead men to heaven. The attainment of heaven by the three other acts may be uncertain, but death in battle has heaven for its certain result.
एष न्द्रिो वैजयन्तो गुणैर्नित्यं समाहितः। येनासुरान् पराजित्य जगत् पाति शतक्रतुः॥
It is graced with many merits; it is through this, Shatakratu (Indra) has became what he is; he rules the universe by vanquishing the Asuras.
स्वर्गमार्गाय कस्य स्याद् विग्रहो वै यथा तव। मागधैर्विपुलैः सैन्यैर्बाहुल्यबलदर्पितः॥
Fighting with you is the certain path to heaven, for you are proud of your prowess of arms and of the excessive might of your large Magadha army.
मावमंस्थाः परान् राजन्नस्ति वीर्यं नरे नरे। समं तेजस्त्वया चैव विशिष्टं वा नरेश्वर॥
O king, do not disregard others; velour exists in every man. O king of men, there are men whose velour is equal or superior to yours.
यावदेतदसम्बुद्धं तावदेव भवेत् तव। विषह्यमेतदस्माकमतो राजन् ब्रवीमि ते॥
So long it is not known (to the world) so long only you are famous. O king, I tell you, your prowess can be borne by us.
जहि त्वं सदृशेष्वेव मानं दर्पं च मागध। मा गमः ससुतामात्य सबलश्च यमक्षयम्॥
O Magadha king, throw away your superiority and pride in the presence of those that are your equals. Do not go to the abode of Yama with your sons, ministers, and troops.
दम्भोद्भवः कार्तवीर्य उत्तरश्च बृहद्रथः। श्रेयसो ह्यवमन्येह विनेशुः सबला नृपाः॥
Dambhodhva, Kartavirya, Uttara, and Brihadratha, all these kings met with their destruction, along with all their troops for disregarding their superiors.
युयुक्षमाणास्त्वत्तो हि न वयं ब्राह्मणा ध्रुवम्। शौरिरस्मि हृषिकेशो नृवीरौ पाण्डवाविमौ। अनयोर्मातुलेयं च कृष्णं मां विद्धि ते रिपुम्॥
We are desirous of liberating the captive monarchs from you. Know that we are certainly not Brahmanas. I am Hrishikesha Shauri, and these two are the Pandavas.
त्वामाह्वयामहे राजन् स्थिरो युध्यस्व मागध। मुञ्च वा नृपतीन् सर्वान् गच्छ वा त्वं यमक्षयम्॥
O king, O monarch of the Magadha kingdom, we challenge you (to a. single combat). Fight with us with steadiness. Either liberate the kings (now kept prisoner by you) or go the abode of Yama.
जरासंध उवाच नाजितान् वै नरपतीनहमाददि कांश्चन। अजितः पर्यवस्थाता कोऽत्र यो न मया जितः॥
Jarasandha said I never make a king prisoner without first defeating him. Who is kept prisoner here who has not been defeated (by me)?
क्षत्रियस्यैतदेवाहुर्धर्म्य कृष्णोपजीवनम्। विक्रम्य वशमानीय कामतो यत् समाचरेत्॥
O Krishna, it has been said that the duty of the Kshatriya is to bring others under his sway by displaying his own prowess, and then to treat them in the way he likes.
देवतार्थमुपाहत्य राज्ञः कृष्ण कथं भयात्। अहमद्य विमुच्येयं क्षात्रं व्रतमनुस्मरन्।॥
O Krishna, recollecting the duty of a Kshatriya, how can I from fear to day liberate the kings collected by me for the purpose of the god?
सैन्यं सैन्येन व्यूढेन एक एकेन वा पुनः। द्वाभ्यां त्रिभिर्वा योत्स्येऽहं युगपत् पृथगेव वा॥
I am ready to fight with troops against troops placed in a battle array, or alone against (you) one, two or three, either at the sometime or separately.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा जरासंधः सहदेवाभिषेचनम्। आज्ञापयत् तदा राजा युयुत्सुर्भीमकर्मभिः॥
Vaishampayana said Having said this, and being willing to fight with those heroes of fearful deeds (Krishna etc.), Jarasandha ordered his son Sahadeva to be installed on the throne.
स तु सेनापति राजा सस्मार भरतर्षभ। कौशिकं चित्रसेनं च तस्मिन् युद्ध उपस्थिते॥
O best of the Bharata race, when the day for the combat came, the king thought of his commanders-in-chief, Kaushika and Chitrasena.
ययोस्ते नामनी राजन् हंसेति डिम्भकेति च। पूर्वं संकथितं पुम्भिर्नृलोके लोकसत्कृते॥
O king, they were formerly called by the ever renowned names of Hansa and Dimbhaka by every body in the world.
तं तु राजन् विभुः शौरी राजानं बलिनां वरम्। स्मृत्वा पुरुषशार्दूल: शार्दूलसमविक्रमम्॥ सत्यसंधो जरासंधं भुवि भीमपराक्रमम्। भागमन्यस्य निर्दिष्टमवध्यं मधुभिर्मधे॥ नात्मनाऽऽत्मवतां मुख्य इयेष मधुसूदनः। ब्राह्मीमाज्ञां पुरस्कृत्य हन्तुं हलधरानुजाः॥
O king, that foremost of all powerful men, the self-controlled lord Shauri (Krishna), that best of men, that slayer of Madhu, ever de:oted to truth, the younger brother of Haladhara, knowing that the king of Magadha was destined to be killed in battle by Bhima and not by the destroyer of Madhu, did not at the command of Brahma desire to kill that foremost of all powerful men, that hero as powerful as the tiger, that warrior of terrible valour, king Jarasandha.