Mahabharata · 2.21.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
एवम् उक्तः स कृष्णेन पाण्डवः परवीरहा ॥
जरासंधस्य तद् रन्ध्रं ज्ञात्वा चक्रे मतिं वधे ॥
ततस् तम् अजितं जेतुं जरासंधं वृकोदरः ॥
संरभ्य बलिनां मुख्यो जग्राह कुरुनन्दनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evam uktaḥ sa kṛṣṇena pāṇḍavaḥ paravīrahā ||
jarāsaṃdhasya tad randhraṃ jñātvā cakre matiṃ vadhe ||
tatas tam ajitaṃ jetuṃ jarāsaṃdhaṃ vṛkodaraḥ ||
saṃrabhya balināṃ mukhyo jagrāha kurunandanaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्तः स कृष्णेनevam uktaḥ sa kṛṣṇenathus instructed by Krishna, he,
पाण्डवः पर-वीर-हाpāṇḍavaḥ para-vīra-hāthe Pandava, slayer of enemy heroes,
जरासंधस्य तद् रन्ध्रम्jarāsaṃdhasya tad randhramhaving recognized that vulnerable spot of Jarasandha,
ज्ञात्वा चक्रे मतिम् वधेjñātvā cakre matim vadhefixed his mind on [his] death;
ततस् तम् अजितम् जेतुम्tatas tam ajitam jetumthen, to overcome that unconquerable one,
जरासंधम् वृकोदरःjarāsaṃdham vṛkodaraḥJarasandha, Vrikodara,
संरभ्य बलिनाम् मुख्योsaṃrabhya balinām mukhyoin fury, foremost of the strong,
जग्राह कुरु-नन्दनःjagrāha kuru-nandanaḥseized [him], the descendant of Kuru.
परवीरहाparavīrahāoriginal form "paravīrahā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रन्ध्रंrandhraṃoriginal form "randhraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मतिंmatiṃoriginal form "matiṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अजितंajitaṃoriginal form "ajitaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जेतुंjetuṃoriginal form "jetuṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जरासंधंjarāsaṃdhaṃoriginal form "jarāsaṃdhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलिनांbalināṃoriginal form "balināṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुरुनन्दनःkurunandanaḥoriginal form "kurunandanaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Thus instructed by Krishna, the Pandava, slayer of enemy heroes, recognizing that vulnerable spot of Jarasandha, fixed his mind upon his death. Then, to overcome the unconquerable Jarasandha, Vrikodara, foremost of the mighty, descendant of Kuru, seized him in fury.
Version
cc27564f984c · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Decisive is the phrase 'having recognized that vulnerable spot' (randhram) — yet Bhima came to know it not by himself, but from the mouth of Krishna. Here two acts converge into one: the will of the Lord, which revealed the breach, and the hand of the devotee, which will deal the blow. It is significant that 'unconquerable' (ajita) — a name that in the highest sense belongs to the Supreme alone — is here applied to the tyrant only to be taken from him at once: truly unconquerable is Achyuta alone, and the one who claims invincibility for himself will fall. The chapter breaks off on the threshold of death; the decisive rupture comes in the next.