अवमुच्य किरीटं स केशान् समनुमृज्य च ॥
उदतिष्ठज् जरासंधो वेलातिग इवार्णवः ॥
उवाच मतिमान् राजा भीमं भीमपराक्रमम् ॥
भीम योत्स्ये त्वया सार्धं श्रेयसा निर्जितं वरम् ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा जरासंधो भीमसेनम् अरिंदमः ॥
प्रत्युद्ययौ महातेजाः शक्रं बलिर् इवासुरः ॥
avamucya kirīṭaṃ sa keśān samanumṛjya ca ||
udatiṣṭhaj jarāsaṃdho velātiga ivārṇavaḥ ||
uvāca matimān rājā bhīmaṃ bhīmaparākramam ||
bhīma yotsye tvayā sārdhaṃ śreyasā nirjitaṃ varam ||
evam uktvā jarāsaṃdho bhīmasenam ariṃdamaḥ ||
pratyudyayau mahātejāḥ śakraṃ balir ivāsuraḥ ||
Having cast off his crown and smoothed his hair, Jarasandha rose up like an ocean overstepping its shore. The wise king said to Bhima, terrible in might: 'Bhima, I will fight with you; it is good to be defeated by one who is better.' So saying, Jarasandha, tamer of foes, great in splendor, advanced against Bhimasena, as the asura Bali advanced against Shakra.
23ef07c140a6 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
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Significant is the king's word: 'it is good to be defeated by the better man.' In the mouth of a tyrant this sounds like valor, but the true meaning runs deeper — defeat at the hands of a higher being elevates the one defeated, and there is no shame in falling before one who is stronger by right. The comparison to Bali, the asura who through his generosity became pleasing to the Lord, subtly foreshadows Jarasandha's fate: even an enemy who meets the will of the Supreme obtains through death not humiliation, but an outcome that surpasses his earthly might.