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राजसूयारम्भपर्वन् (rAjasUyArambhaparvan)

 
Monier Williams Cologne
English
राज—सू°यारम्भ-पर्वन्
n.
N.
 of
MBh.
 ii, 12-18
Mahabharata
English
[Rājasūyārambhaparvan(ºva)] (“the beginning of the rājasūya sacrifice, ” the 22nd of the minor parvans of Mhbhr.). (Cf. Rājasūyasya ārambhaḥ.)--§ 272: Yudhishṭhira consulted his counsellors, brothers, ṛtvijes, ministers, Dhaumya, Dvaipāyana, etc., as to the rājasūya (“in which ṛshis of austere vows establish six fires singing mantras of the Sāmaveda
at the conclusion thereof the performer, when installed in the sovereignty, is rewarded with the fruit of all sacrifices, including the darvīhomas”). They all encouraged him to perform it. All people lived happily under his sway and loved him (therefore he was called Ajātaśatru)
Bhīma ruled over all men justly, Arjuna protected the people from enemies, Sahadeva administered justice impartially, Nakula behaved towards everybody with humility. There was no extortion, disease, etc. Yudhishṭhira sent a messenger to Kṛshṇa in Dvāravatī, and Kṛshṇa came to Indraprastha accompanied by Indrasena, and was consulted by Yudhishṭhira (II, 13).--§ 273: Kṛshṇa said that Yudhishṭhira, in order to become samrāj, ought to slay the Magadha king Jarāsandha, and deliver the princes whom Jarāsandha held shut up in a mountain hole in order to sacrifice them to Mahādeva (i.e. Śiva). “The now existing kshatriyas are descended from the remnants of those who were exterminated by Rāma. They represent themselves to be the descendants of Aila and Ikshvāku
of those there are 100 families. The Bhojas, descendants of Yayāti, are great and scattered all over the earth
but now Jarāsandha, ruling the middle land (i.e. Mathurā, Nīl.), has overpowered them. His allies are (1) Śiśupāla, who has become his senāpati
(2) the Karūsha king Vakra, who fights by illusion (māyāyodhin)
(3--4) Haṃsa and Ḍimbhaka (see below)
(5--8) Dantavakra, Karūsha, Karabha, Meghavāhana
(9) Bhagadatta, the Yavana king, the ruler of the west, who bears on his head the most wonderful gem on earth, the old friend of thy father, and who chastises Muru and Naraka
he obeys Jarāsandha, but in his heart he is tied by affection to thee
(10) the king of Aṅga, Vaṅga, Puṇḍra, and of the Kirātas, Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva, who among the Cedis is called Purushottama, and always bears, from foolishness, the distinctive signs of Kṛshṇa
(11) Bhīshmaka, king of the Bhojas, the friend of Indra, who governs a fourth part of the world, who by his learning has conquered the Pāṇḍyas, Krathas, and Kaiśikas, and whose brother Ākṛti is like to Rāma Jāmadagnya, has placed himself under Jarāsandha, though Kṛshṇa, etc., his relatives, are engaged every day in doing what is agreeable to him. Only Yudhishṭhira's maternal uncle, the Kunti king Purujit, who has his dominions in the west and the south, regards Yudhishṭhira with affection. The following peoples have fled for fear of Jarāsandha: (1) the eighteen tribes of the northern Bhojas have fled towards the west
(2--10) the Śūrasenas, Bhadrakāras, Bodhas, Śālvas, Paṭaccaras, Susthalas, Mukuṭṭas (B. Suº), Kulindas, and Kuntis
(11--13) the Śālvāyana kings with their brethren and followers, the southern Pāñcālas, and the eastern Kośalas, have all fled to the Kuntis(?)
(14--15) the Matsyas and the Sannyastapādas (? so B.
C. Sanyaº) have left their dominions in the north and fled into the southern country
(16) all the Pāñcālas have fled in all directions.” Jarāsandha's relations to the Yādavas were the following: Kaṃsa, having persecuted the Yādavas, married Asti and Prāpti, daughters of Jarāsandha and sisters of Sahadeva, and began also to oppress the old chiefs of the Bhojas, who sought the help of Kṛshṇa, etc.
Kṛshṇa bestowed upon Akrūra the daughter of Āhuka, and with Saṅkarshaṇa (i.e. Balarāma) he slew Kaṃsa and Sunāman. Then Jarāsandha took up arms, and the eighteen tribes (kulair ashṭādaśāvaraiḥ (?), differently Nīl.) thought they would be unable to check him even in 300 years. His friends Haṃsa and Ḍimbhaka were incapable of being slain by weapons. Some other king, named Haṃsa (differently Nīl.), was slain by Rāma in the battle of the eighteen tribes (ashṭādaśāvare?)
then Ḍimbhaka, thinking that he could not live without Haṃsa, killed himself in the Yamunā, and Haṃsa, hearing that, also jumped into the Yamunā
then Jarāsandha returned to his kingdom, and the Yādavas continued to live at Mathurā. But the widow of Kaṃsa (PCR. Haṃsa), the daughter of Jarāsandha, urging him to revenge the death of her husband, the Yādavas fled from Mathurā, and took up their abode in Kuśasthalī (i.e. Dvāravatī), adorned by Raivata, and strongly fortified the Gomanta mountains, three yojanas in length. “In the race of Kṛshṇa there are 8, 000 brothers [and cousins, PCR.]. Āhuka has 100 sons. Cārudeshṇa with his brother, Cakradeva, Sātyaki, Kṛshṇa, Rauhiṇeya (i.e. Balarāma), and Śāmba (like Śauri in battle) are seven heroes (rathāḥ)
Kṛtavarman, Anādhṛshṭi, Śamīka, Samitiñjaya, Kaṅka, Śaṅku, and Kunti are seven mahārathas
then there are also two sons of Andhakabhoja and himself
all these heroes, remembering the middle country, are now living among the Vṛshṇis” (II, 14).--§ 274: Yudhishṭhira had some scruples, which were opposed by Bhīma and Kṛshṇa, who cited from the Kṛta age five kings, who had become emperors (samrāj): Yauvanāśvi (i.e. Māndhātṛ) by the remission of taxes (B. jitvā jayyān, “by victories”), Bhagīratha by protection, [Arjuna-]
Kārtavīrya by asceticism, Bharata by strength, and Marutta by prosperity
100 families of kings have been unable to oppose Jarāsandha
he has already brought eighty-six kings to the house of Paśupati (i.e. Śiva)
when he has fourteen more he will offer them as sacrifices (II, 15).-Some further objections of Yudhishṭhira are refuted by Arjuna (II, 16).--§ 275: The origin of Jarāsandha was the following: The Magadha king Bṛhadratha, who had three akshauhiṇīs of troops, married the two twin daughters of the king of Kāśi, making an engagement never to show a preference for either. As he was childless he repaired to the ṛshi Caṇḍa-Kauśika, the son of Kākshīvat Gautama, who was sitting under a mango-tree. He gave a mango fruit to the king, who gave it to his queens. They then brought forth each one half of a child, which were thrown away, but, found and laid together by the rākshasī Jarā, became one living child (II, 17).--Jarā had been created by Svayambhū for the destruction of the Dānavas and named Gṛhadevī (gṛhe gṛhe manushyāṇāṃ nityaṃ tishṭhāmi rākshasī, v. 730), and always lived in the king's house and did him good, because there was on the walls a likeness of her endued with youth and in the midst of children, and she was daily worshipped with scents, etc. The king ordered a great festival to be held in Magadha in honour of Jarā, and named the boy Jarāsandha (Jarayā sandhito, v. 739) (II, 18). Some time after Caṇḍa-Kauśika again came to Magadha, and foretold the greatness of Jarāsandha, that weapons should not hurt him, and that he should see Rudra. After having installed Jarāsandha, Bṛhadratha with his two wives retired to the woods and, after practising ascetic penances, ascended to heaven. When king Kaṃsa was slain by Vāsudeva (i.e. Kṛshṇa), Jarāsandha, from Girivraja, whirling a mace ninety-nine times, hurled it towards Mathurā, where Kṛshṇa was residing at that time
the mace fell at Gadāvasāna, near Mathurā, at a distance of ninety-nine yojanas [from Girivraja, PCR.]. He, with Haṃsa and Ḍimbhaka (who were skilled in the nītiśāstra, v. 765), were more than a match for the three worlds
therefore, from policy, the Kukuras, Andhakas, and Vṛshṇis, chose not to fight with him (II, 19).