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Mahābhārata The History of the Great India
<< 127 Bhima fights Jarasandha >>
 |  | The tyrant Jarasandha accepts a challenge from the mightiest of the Pandava brothers. The sage Vaisampayana is telling the history of the Pandavas to their great-grandson, King Janamejaya. As the narration continues, Krsna and the Pandavas Bhima and Arjuna have challenged the evil king Jarasandha to a fight. The defeat of Jarasandha, who holds many kings hostage, will entitle Yudhisthira to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice and become world emperor. Now Jarasandha responds to the challenge. [Abridged from the original translation.]
| | | King Jarasandha, eager to fight with his foes of awesome deeds, then authorized the coronation of his son Sahadeva. Now that the fight had come, O best of the Bharatas, the king remembered the two leaders of his armies, Kausika and Citrasena, who were known in this world by the names Hamsa and Dibhaka, names that in the past had been celebrated in human society and honored by the world.
| | | O king, Jarasandha was the best of the strong and as courageous as a tiger, and his prowess was awesome in the world. Lord Krsna, Balarama's infallible younger brother, remembered that [by Lord Brahma's order] to kill Jarasandha was another's ordained lot. True to His word, Lord Krsna, the maintainer of the world, respected the order of Brahma and so did not wish to kill Jarasandha personally.
| | | Thereupon the eloquent and infallible Lord Krsna, the joy of the Yadu dynasty, said to King Jarasandha, who had made up his mind to fight, "Of the three of us, O king, whom are you inclined to fight? Which of us should prepare himself for battle?"
| | | O king, when Krsna had addressed him thus, Jarasandha, the splendid ruler of Magadha, chose to fight with Bhimasena. The royal priest, bearing the finest medicines, painkillers, and restoratives, waited upon Jarasandha, who was eager for battle. A renowned brahmana performed all the auspicious rituals for Jarasandha, who was ever devoted to the warrior's path. After fastening his full armor, Jarasandha took off his crown and carefully combed his hair. He then rose up like the ocean overflowing its shores.
| | | The astute king Jarasandha said to Bhima, of awesome feats, "Bhima, I will fight with you. It is good for you to be defeated by a superior."
| | | Having thus spoken to Bhimasena, the mighty Jarasandha, tamer of foes, went toward his foe like the Asura Bali confronting Indra. Then, having taken counsel with Krsna, mighty Bhimasena, blessed with auspicious rites and eager to fight, approached Jarasandha.
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