Jara Reveals Herself and Jarasandha Is Named

Verse 1 (2.18.1)

जरा नामास्मि भद्रं ते राक्षसी कामरूपिणी । तव वेश्मनि राजेन्द्र पूजिता न्यवसं सुखम् ॥

jarā nāmāsmi bhadraṃ te rākṣasī kāmarūpiṇī | tava veśmani rājendra pūjitā nyavasaṃ sukham

"Bless you, O king of kings — I am a rakshasi named Jara, able to take any form I wish. I have lived happily in your house, honoured there.

Verse 2 (2.18.2)

गृहे गृहे मनुष्याणां नित्यं तिष्ठामि राक्षसी । गृहदेवीति नाम्ना वै पुरा सृष्टा स्वयम्भुवा ॥

gṛhe gṛhe manuṣyāṇāṃ nityaṃ tiṣṭhāmi rākṣasī | gṛhadevīti nāmnā vai purā sṛṣṭā svayambhuvā

I, a rakshasi, dwell always in every house of men. Long ago the Self-born Creator made me, under the name of Grihadevi, the goddess of the home.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वयंम्भुवा → स्वयम्भुवा (misprint in Wikisource; doubled nasal). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (2.18.3)

दानवानां विनाशाय स्थापिता दिव्यरूपिणी । यो मां भक्त्या लिखेत्कुड्ये सपुत्रां यौवनान्विताम् ॥

dānavānāṃ vināśāya sthāpitā divyarūpiṇī | yo māṃ bhaktyā likhetkuḍye saputrāṃ yauvanānvitām

I was set in place, in divine form, for the destruction of the Danavas. Whoever devoutly paints me on a wall, youthful and surrounded by my sons,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 4 (2.18.4)

गृहे तस्य भवेद्वृद्धिरन्यथा क्षयमाप्नुयात् । त्वद्गृहे तिष्ठमानाऽहं पूजिताऽहं सदा विभो ॥

gṛhe tasya bhavedvṛddhiranyathā kṣayamāpnuyāt | tvadgṛhe tiṣṭhamānā'haṃ pūjitā'haṃ sadā vibho

prosperity comes to his house; otherwise it falls into decline. Dwelling in your house, my lord, I have always been worshipped,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (2.18.5)

लिखिता चैव कुड्येषु पुत्रैर्बहुभिरावृता । गन्धपुष्पैस्तथा धूपैर्भक्ष्यभोज्यैः सुपूजिता ॥

likhitā caiva kuḍyeṣu putrairbahubhirāvṛtā | gandhapuṣpaistathā dhūpairbhakṣyabhojyaiḥ supūjitā

painted on the walls, surrounded by many sons, and duly honoured with perfumes and flowers, with incense, and with food of every kind.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (2.18.6)

साऽहं प्रत्युपकारार्थं चिन्तयन्त्यनिशं नृप । तवेमे पुत्रशकले दृष्टवत्यस्मि धार्मिका ॥

sā'haṃ pratyupakārārthaṃ cintayantyaniśaṃ nṛpa | taveme putraśakale dṛṣṭavatyasmi dhārmikā

So, thinking day and night how I might repay that kindness, O king, I — being righteous — found these two halves of your son.

Verse 7 (2.18.7)

संश्लेषिते मया दैवात्कुमारः समपद्यत । तव भाग्यान्महाराज हेतुमात्रमहं त्विह ॥

saṃśleṣite mayā daivātkumāraḥ samapadyata | tava bhāgyānmahārāja hetumātramahaṃ tviha

When I joined them together, by the will of fate a boy came into being. It was your good fortune, great king; I was merely the instrument here.

Note on the text: Corrected संश्लिषिते → संश्लेषिते (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign gives no valid form; critical edition saṃśleṣite).

Verse 8 (2.18.8)

मेरुं वा खादितुं शक्ता किं पुनस्तव बालकम् । गृहसम्पूजनात्तुष्ट्या मया प्रत्यर्पितस्तव ॥

meruṃ vā khādituṃ śaktā kiṃ punastava bālakam | gṛhasampūjanāttuṣṭyā mayā pratyarpitastava

I could swallow Mount Meru — what then of your little child? But pleased by the worship I received in your house, I have given him back to you.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 9 (2.18.9)

मम नाम्ना च लोकेऽस्मिन्ख्यात एव भविष्यति ॥

mama nāmnā ca loke'sminkhyāta eva bhaviṣyati

And in this world he will be famous by my name."

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the heading कृष्ण उवाच after this line, inside verse 9; the verse is split there. This line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 10 (2.18.10)

एवमुक्त्वा तु सा राजंस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । स सङ्गृह्य कुमारं तं प्रविवेश गृहं नृपः ॥

evamuktvā tu sā rājaṃstatraivāntaradhīyata | sa saṅgṛhya kumāraṃ taṃ praviveśa gṛhaṃ nṛpaḥ

Having said this, O king, she vanished on the spot. And the king took up the boy and entered his palace.

Note on the text: Second half of Wikisource verse 9, after the heading कृष्ण उवाच printed mid-verse. Corresponds to 2.17.4.

Verse 11 (2.18.11)

तस्य बालस्य यत्कृत्यं तच्चकार नृपस्तदा । आज्ञापयच्च राक्षस्या मगधेषु महोत्सवम् ॥

tasya bālasya yatkṛtyaṃ taccakāra nṛpastadā | ājñāpayacca rākṣasyā magadheṣu mahotsavam

The king then performed for the child all the rites that were due, and ordered a great festival throughout Magadha in honour of the rakshasi.

Verse 12 (2.18.12)

तस्य नामाकरोच्चैव पितामहसमः पिता । जरया सन्धितो यस्माज्जरासन्धो भवत्वयम् ॥

tasya nāmākaroccaiva pitāmahasamaḥ pitā | jarayā sandhito yasmājjarāsandho bhavatvayam

And his father, who was like the Grandsire Brahma, gave him his name: "Since he was joined together by Jara, let him be Jarasandha."

Verse 13 (2.18.13)

सोऽवर्धत महातेजा मागधाधिपतेः सुतः । प्रमाणबलसम्पन्नो हुताहुतिरिवानलः ॥

so'vardhata mahātejā māgadhādhipateḥ sutaḥ | pramāṇabalasampanno hutāhutirivānalaḥ

The son of the lord of Magadha, of great splendour, grew up endowed with size and strength, like a fire fed with offerings.

Verse 14 (2.18.14)

एवं स ववृधे राजन्कुमारः पुष्करेक्षणः । बलेन महता चापि यौवनस्थो बभूव ह । मातापित्रोर्नन्दकरः शुक्लपक्षे यथा शशी ॥

evaṃ sa vavṛdhe rājankumāraḥ puṣkarekṣaṇaḥ | balena mahatā cāpi yauvanastho babhūva ha | mātāpitrornandakaraḥ śuklapakṣe yathā śaśī

Thus, O king, the lotus-eyed boy grew, and came to youth endowed with great strength, bringing joy to his mother and father, like the moon in the bright fortnight.

Note on the text: Removed wiki quote marks (` ') around the first two lines. Corrected लेन → बलेन (misprint in Wikisource; dropped first akshara leaves the line a syllable short). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).