JARASANDHA

Jarasandha was the king of Magadha. He was the son of a Vedic king named Brihadratha. He was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He is generally held in negative light owing to his enmity with the Yadava clan in the Mahābhārata.

Jarasandha was the son of King of Brihadratha, a great warrior who married the twin daughters of the king of Kasi. He promised his wife that he would treat them with perfect equality throughout their lives. He was not blessed with children for a long time. He went to the forest with his two wives and dedicated himself to penance. While he was in the forest he met the celebrated sage Kausika belonging to Gautama Gotra. Kausika took pity on the king and gave a mango fruit as a token of his blessing. Brihadratha cut the fruit into two exact halves and gave one each to his queens. After some time the two queens conceived and gave birth to two lumps of flesh each possessing one eye, one ear, one hand and one leg. They could not comprehend that the two apparently revolting lumps of flesh were complementary halves of a single body. They felt unhappy at the monstrous distortions that came out of their wombs and instructed the midwife to throw the two masses of flesh away. The servant maid put those two lumps into two cloth bags and threw them into the dust bin. A rakshasi very happy at the sumptuous meal got, quite unexpectedly emptied the two bags and put the two pieces together. Quite accidently the two pieces stuck together and formed a live child bubbling with animation. The rakshasi was moved with pity and could not eat the child. Instead she presented the baby to the king, taking the form of a beautiful lady and said, "O king, this baby is your son. He will grow into a great warrior striking the hearts of his enemies." The king thanked her and gave the baby to his two queens who realized the mistake they had unwillingly committed. As a token of gratitude towards the lady Jara, who fused the two masses of flesh together into a single hole, the boy was named ‘Jarasandha'. He grew into a great warrior of immense physical strength and bravery as predicted by Jara.

Members of the warrior caste of ancient India were not wicked votaries of vulgar violence. A magnanimous code of martial conduct marked the scrupulous behavior of brave heroes reinforced very often by family pride and personal chivalry. Sri Krishna the incisive master of intricate human psychology, calculated that Jarasandha, proud of his prowess and bound by the customary code of honour, would not reject a challenge to a single combat. So direct fight with the armies with all its risks and uncertainities was ruled out. The unarmed trio dressed as Brahmins holding the holy darbha grass in their hands entered the capital city of King Jarasandha who was conducting religious rites to ward off the evil effects of bad omens and misfortune foreboded by the Brahmins of the royal court. At that time Sri Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna entered the royal palace. Jarasandha taking them to be pious Brahmins received with respect and offered the customary hospitalities extending a warm welcome. Bhima and Arjuna did not reply to the words of welcome as they would be compelled to speak lies.


Jarasandha became suspicious but Sri Krishna retrieved the situation and he said, "Mighty King, these two are observing the vow of silence and so for the present they could not speak. Their vow ends by midnight to day and your majesty can talk to them then if it is not otherwise inconvenient." Great people were expected to abide by convenience of the guests and Jarasandha conveyed his willingness and allotted the sacrificial hall for their stay. However his suspicion still remained as he could clearly discern the marks of scars on their arms formed by carrying the bow and arrow habitually. When he returned to call on them at midnight he put the straight question to them, "Gentlemen, quite obviously you are Brahmins as revealed by your bearing and strange behavior. You must declare categorically whether you are friends or foes." Sri Krishna replied, "We are your foes; I am Krishna; He is Bhima and he is Arjuna." Jarasandha exclaimed, "It is strange you came unarmed." Sri Krishna replied, "That means we have complete confidence in your chivalry." Jarasandha asked, "Then what do you want?" Sri Krishna said, "We seek single combat with you. You can exhibit your heroism and personal prowess. You can choose any one of us.

Jarsandha had a hearty laugh and then said, "Krishna, I know I cannot choose you. It is derogatory to my dignity to choose the cowardly cowhead who was defeated by me already a number of times and who fled to far off Dvaraka deserting Mathura to its fate, seeking the safety of the engulfing sea. Then I cannot take unfair advantage and choose unarmed urchin Arjuna for the duel. Let me choose a near equal Bhima who is now a rising star on heroic horizon. I am ready for an unarmed duel with the renowned Bhima."

That was exactly what Sri Krishna anticipated and planned. The fight started; it was not a walk over for Bhima as he fondly hoped. It was a long drawn match between the two greatest gladiators of the times fighting without arms. The combat continued without rest or refreshments for thirteen days. In the epic the fight is described in detail, the poet says, "They fought like two match cocks, two mighty elephants, two robust rhinos, two fierce tigers and two ferocious lions, each indefatigable in his own way."

Arjuna was following the fight with deepest anxiety and alternated with hope and despair. However Sri Krishna was calm and composed, confident of the ultimate outcome. On the fourteenth day Jarsandha betrayed signs of exhaustion while Bhima, youthful and energetic, remained undaunted. Sri Krishna encouraged Bhima to seize the opportunity. Bhima lifted Jarsandha physically tossed him up and dashed him to the ground. Still Jarasandha rose up and attacked Bhima. Sri Krishna knew the secret of so- called steel frame of Jarsandha's body. Sri Krishna took a blade of grass and tore it vertically giving the required indication to Bhima who took the hint and caught hold of the right leg of Jarsandha and tore his body exactly into his pieces and threw them apart roaring like a lion. But wonderfully enough both halves came together and Jarsandha once again rose with full life and vigour to attack Bhima. Sri Krishna took out the two grass blades and threw them out in opposite diresctions.

Bhima who was looking for further hint with alertness easily understood with implication. Once again he tore the body of Jarsandha into two halves but threw this time in opposite directions. The two halves of the body could not fuse though they came together. Thus Jarsandha met with his end as a result of the combined operation of Bhima's strength and Krishna's stratagem. There was consternation in the capital of Magadha but Sri Krishna installed Sahadeva, the son of Jarasandha on the throne. The Princes who were taken prisoners by Jarsandha were set at liberty. The incredible news of the death of the mighty Jarsandha at the hands of Bhima spread throughout Bharatavarsha like wild fire. The newly crowned King of Magadha and all the Princes who regained their Kingdoms readily offered their allegiance to Yudhisthira. Sri Krishna's fame as the shrewd master of supreme state craft reached far and wide and he was acclaimed by people at large as incarnation of Lord Vishnu, reborn on earth for the sake of redemption of the oppressed and revival of righteousness. The triumphant trio returned to Indraprastha setting the stage ready for Rajasuya.

As a prelude to Rajasuya, Yudhisthira sent his four brothers to the four directions for the Digvijaya to conquer the four quarters of the country. Arjuna went to conquer the northern regions set out in the chariot presented by the God of Fire, taking the Gandiva bow together with the inexhaustible quiver. Bhimasena went to conquer the kingdoms lying in the eastern direction. Sahadeva started to conquer the countries of the South. All the kings paid tribute to Yudhisthira accepting his overlordship. A messenger was sent to Lanka and Vibhisshana duly sent costly presents of gold, diamonds and sandal wood to Yudhisthira. Nakula undertook the western expedition. He took a vast army with him and when it was on the march it looked like a surging ocean. From there Nakula marched further west into the domains of the cruel barbarians and took thousands of camels by way of tribute and returned to Indraprastha.

As Arjuna and Bhima, Sahadeva and Nakula completed the conquest of all the kingdoms in all the four directions, Yudhisthira proclaimed that he would perform the historic Rajasuya yaga. Sri Krishna arrived from Dvaraka well in advance.Yudhisthira received Sri Krishna with all the royal honours. Dhaumya, the Pandava Purohita was requested to begin the preliminary preparations and invite the learned ritviks from all over Bharatavarsha to conduct the Rajasuya Yaga.