Jarasandha's Eighteen Wars

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.22.1)

जरासन्धसुते कंस उपयेमे महाबलः। अस्तिं प्राप्तिं च मैत्रेय तयोर्भर्तृहणं हरिम्

jarāsandhasute kaṁsa upayeme mahābalaḥ astiṁ prāptiṁ ca maitreya tayorbhartṛhaṇaṁ harim

The mighty Kamsa had married two daughters of Jarasandha, Asti and Prapti; and it was Hari, O Maitreya, who had slain their husband.

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.22.2)

महाबलपरीवारो मगधाधिपतिर्बली। हन्तुमभ्याययौ कोपाज्जरासन्धः स यादवम्

mahābalaparīvāro magadhādhipatirbalī hantumabhyāyayau kopājjarāsandhaḥ sa yādavam

Jarasandha, the powerful lord of Magadha, surrounded by a host of mighty followers, marched forth in fury to destroy that Yadava, along with Mathura.

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.22.3)

उपेत्य मथुरां सोऽथ रुरोध मगधेश्वरः। अक्षौहिणीभिः सैन्यस्य त्रयोविंशतिभिर्वृतः

upetya mathurāṁ so'tha rurodha magadheśvaraḥ akṣauhiṇībhiḥ sainyasya trayoviṁśatibhirvṛtaḥ

Reaching Mathura, that lord of Magadha, surrounded by twenty-three akshauhini divisions of troops, laid siege to it.

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.22.4)

निष्कम्याल्पपरीवारावुभौ रामजनार्दनौ। युयुधातौ समं तस्य बलिनौ बलिसैनिकैः

niṣkamyālpaparīvārāvubhau rāmajanārdanau yuyudhātau samaṁ tasya balinau balisainikaiḥ

Coming forth with only a very small following, those two mighty ones, Rama and Janardana, fought equally against the powerful soldiers of his army.

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.22.5)

ततो बलश्च कृष्णश्च चक्राते मतिमुत्तमाम्। आयुधानां पुराणानामादाने मुनिसत्तम

tato balaśca kṛṣṇaśca cakrāte matimuttamām āyudhānāṁ purāṇānāmādāne munisattama

O best of sages, then Bala and Krishna resolved upon the finest course — to obtain their ancient, primordial weapons.

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.22.6)

अनन्तरं हरेः शार्ङ्गं तूणौ चाक्षयसायकौ। आकाशादागतौ विप्र तथा कौमोदकी गदा

anantaraṁ hareḥ śārṅgaṁ tūṇau cākṣayasāyakau ākāśādāgatau vipra tathā kaumodakī gadā

Thereupon, O brahmin, Hari's bow Sharnga, his two inexhaustible quivers, and his mace Kaumodaki as well, came down from the sky.

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.22.7)

हलं च बलभद्रस्य गगनादागतं ज्वलत्। मनसोऽभिमतं विप्र सौनन्दं मुसलं तथा

halaṁ ca balabhadrasya gaganādāgataṁ jvalat manaso'bhimataṁ vipra saunandaṁ musalaṁ tathā

And Balabhadra's plow too came down from the sky, ablaze with light, O brahmin; and, as if knowing their very thought, the club named Saunanda came down as well.

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.22.8)

ततो युद्धे पराजित्य ससैन्यं मगधाधिपम्। पुरीं विविशतुर्वीरावुभौ रामजनार्दनौ

tato yuddhe parājitya sasainyaṁ magadhādhipam purīṁ viviśaturvīrāvubhau rāmajanārdanau

Then, having defeated that king of Magadha in battle along with his army, those two heroes, Rama and Janardana, returned into the city.

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.22.9)

जिते तस्मिन् सुदुर्वृत्ते जरासन्धे महामुने। जीवमाने गते कृष्णस्तं नामन्यत निर्जितम्

jite tasmin sudurvṛtte jarāsandhe mahāmune jīvamāne gate kṛṣṇastaṁ nāmanyata nirjitam

O great sage, when that ill-conducted Jarasandha had thus been defeated, and had gone from there still alive, Krishna considered him conquered.

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.22.10)

पुनरप्याजगामाथ जरासन्धो बलान्वितः। जितश्च रामकृष्णाभ्यामपक्रान्तो द्विजोत्तम

punarapyājagāmātha jarāsandho balānvitaḥ jitaśca rāmakṛṣṇābhyāmapakrānto dvijottama

Then Jarasandha came again, with his army, and, O best of brahmins, defeated once more by Rama and Krishna, he withdrew again.

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.22.11)

दश चाष्टौ च संग्रामानेवमत्यन्तदुर्मदः। यदुभिर्मागधो राजा चक्रे कृष्णापुरोगमैः

daśa cāṣṭau ca saṁgrāmānevamatyantadurmadaḥ yadubhirmāgadho rājā cakre kṛṣṇāpurogamaiḥ

Thus that utterly arrogant king of Magadha waged eighteen battles against the Yadavas, led always by Krishna.

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.22.12)

सर्व्वेष्वेतेषु युद्धेषु यादवैः स पराजितः। अपक्रान्तो जरासन्धः स्वल्पसैन्यैर्बलाधिकः

sarvveṣveteṣu yuddheṣu yādavaiḥ sa parājitaḥ apakrānto jarāsandhaḥ svalpasainyairbalādhikaḥ

In every one of these battles, though greater in strength, Jarasandha was defeated by the Yadavas, and each time withdrew with only the barest remnant of his army.

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.22.13)

तद्बलं यादवानां तैरजितं यदनेकशः। तत्तु सन्निधिमाहात्म्यं विष्णोरंशस्य चक्रिणः

tadbalaṁ yādavānāṁ tairajitaṁ yadanekaśaḥ tattu sannidhimāhātmyaṁ viṣṇoraṁśasya cakriṇaḥ

That the Yadavas' army remained undefeated by him time and again — this was but the majesty born of the very presence of that portion of the discus-bearing Vishnu among them.

Verse 14 (vishnu.5.22.14)

मनुष्यधर्मशीलस्य लीला सा जगतः पतेः। अस्त्राण्यनेकरूपाणि यदरातिषु मुञ्चति

manuṣyadharmaśīlasya līlā sā jagataḥ pateḥ astrāṇyanekarūpāṇi yadarātiṣu muñcati

It is but the play of that Lord of the world, who conducts himself according to the norms of human dharma, that he looses weapons of many forms upon his foes.

Verse 15 (vishnu.5.22.15)

मनसैव जगत्सृष्टिं संहारं च करोति यः। तस्यारिपक्षक्षपणे कोऽयमुद्यमविस्तरः

manasaiva jagatsṛṣṭiṁ saṁhāraṁ ca karoti yaḥ tasyāripakṣakṣapaṇe ko'yamudyamavistaraḥ

For one who by mere thought alone can accomplish both the creation and the dissolution of the universe, what real need is there of so vast an exertion merely to destroy an enemy's side?

Verse 16 (vishnu.5.22.16)

तथापि यो मनुष्याणां धर्मस्तमनुवर्तते। कुर्वन् बलवता सन्धिं हीनैर्युद्धं करोत्यसौ

tathāpi yo manuṣyāṇāṁ dharmastamanuvartate kurvan balavatā sandhiṁ hīnairyuddhaṁ karotyasau

Yet, following that very dharma which governs human beings, he makes peace with the strong and wages war upon the weak.

Verse 17 (vishnu.5.22.17)

साम चोपप्रदानं च तथा भेदं प्रदर्शयन्। करोति दण्डपातं च क्वचिदेव पलायनम्

sāma copapradānaṁ ca tathā bhedaṁ pradarśayan karoti daṇḍapātaṁ ca kvacideva palāyanam

Displaying now conciliation, now gift-giving, now the sowing of division, he resorts at times to open force, and at times even to withdrawal.

Verse 18 (vishnu.5.22.18)

मनुष्यदेहिनां चेष्टामित्येवमनुवर्त्ततः। लीला जगत्पतेस्तस्य च्छन्दतः सम्प्रवर्तते

manuṣyadehināṁ ceṣṭāmityevamanuvarttataḥ līlā jagatpatestasya cchandataḥ sampravartate

Thus, following the very conduct of embodied human beings, this play of the Lord of the world proceeds entirely according to his own free will.