FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.36.36

जरासन्धो मम गुरुर्द्विविदो दयित: सखा । शम्बरो नरको बाणो मय्येव कृतसौहृदा: । तैरहं सुरपक्षीयान् हत्वा भोक्ष्ये महीं नृपान् ॥ ३६ ॥
jarāsandho mama gurur
[jaraasandho mama gurur]
dvivido dayitaḥ sakhā
[dvivido dayitah sakhaa]
śambaro narako bāṇo
[shambaro narako baano]
mayy eva kṛta-sauhṛdāḥ
[mayy eva krita-sauhridaah]
tair ahaṁ sura-pakṣīyān
[tair aham sura-paksheeyaan]
hatvā bhokṣye mahīṁ nṛpān
[hatvaa bhokshye maheem nripaan]
jarāsandhaḥ — Jarāsandha mama — my guruḥ — elder (father-in-law) dvividaḥ — Dvivida dayitaḥ — my dear sakhā — friend śambaraḥ — Śambara narakaḥ — Naraka bāṇaḥ — Bāṇa mayi — for me eva — indeed kṛta - sauhṛdāḥ — who have strong friendship taiḥ — with them aham — 1 sura — of the demigods pakṣīyān — those who are allies hatvā — killing bhokṣye — will enjoy mahīm — the earth nṛpān — the kings .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jarāsandho mama gurur
jarāsandhaḥ
Jarāsandha
mama
my
guruḥ
elder (father-in-law)
dvivido dayitaḥ sakhā
dvividaḥ
Dvivida
dayitaḥ
my dear
sakhā
friend
śambaro narako bāṇo
śambaraḥ
Śambara
narakaḥ
Naraka
bāṇaḥ
Bāṇa
mayy eva kṛta-sauhṛdāḥ
mayi
for me
eva
indeed
kṛta - sauhṛdāḥ
who have strong friendship
tair ahaṁ sura-pakṣīyān
taiḥ
with them
aham
1
sura
of the demigods
pakṣīyān
those who are allies
hatvā bhokṣye mahīṁ nṛpān
hatvā
killing
bhokṣye
will enjoy
mahīm
the earth
nṛpān
the kings .
  • jarāsandhaḥ — Jarāsandha
    Jarā (the old woman) + sandha (joined). Born in two halves and joined by the demoness Jarā. King of Magadha, Kaṁsa's father-in-law. He invades Mathurā seventeen times in SB 10.50–52 and is finally killed by Bhīma.
  • dvividaḥ — Dvivida
    The monkey-demon, brother of Mainda. He befriended Naraka and ravaged the earth. Balarāma kills him in SB 10.67 — Gauḍīyas note this as a Balarāma-only victory, a quiet sphere of His independent action.
  • śambaraḥ — Śambara
    The demon who, alarmed by a prophecy of his own, stole infant Pradyumna and was eventually killed by him in SB 10.55. The same prophecy-fear that drives Kaṁsa drives Śambara — the asura type is repeatable.
  • narakaḥ — Naraka
    Narakāsura, the son of Bhū-devī, who tormented the demigods until Kṛṣṇa killed him at Prāgjyotiṣapura (SB 10.59), liberating the sixteen thousand princesses.
  • bāṇaḥ — Bāṇa
    Bāṇāsura, devotee of Lord Śiva, possessor of a thousand arms. Defeated by Kṛṣṇa in SB 10.62–63 in the war over his daughter Uṣā and Aniruddha.
  • kṛta - sauhṛdāḥ — having made friendship (with me)
    Kṛta (made) + sauhṛda (friendship, lit. 'good-heartedness'). The friendship is named precisely so that the Bhāgavatam can later show its instability: each of these 'friends' falls separately, none rescues Kaṁsa, and even Jarāsandha cannot save his son-in-law.
My elder relative Jarāsandha and my dear friend Dvivida are solid well-wishers of mine, as are Śambara, Naraka and Bāṇa. I will use them all to kill off those kings who are allied with the demigods, and then I will rule the earth.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
My elder relative Jarāsandha and my dear friend Dvivida are solid well-wishers of mine, as are Śambara, Naraka and Bāṇa. I will use them all to kill off those kings who are allied with the demigods, and then I will rule the earth.
Commentary

How will the world be without thorns, if Jarasandha and others are present? Jarasandha is my elder, or guru (svasura)

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

I will kill all those who side with the devatās such as the Kauravas. Then I will rule the earth. There is another meaning however. I will enjoy the earth in my state of liberation, since liberation includes all enjoyment (figuratively).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Dvivida is my dear friend. He is particularly mentioned because of his great courage. The kings he will kill are the Pāṇḍavas, and the kings of Matsya and Pāñcāla.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)
Related verses
Kaṁsa names allies — Jarāsandha, Dvivida, Śambara, Naraka, Bāṇa — to kill kings allied with the demigods, then rule the earth. Evil counts on its network; demonic alliances mirror but invert the saṅga of devotees.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'demonic saṅga' do you maintain whose collective effect on you is undeniable?
  • Whose devotional company could replace it if you chose?

Kaṁsa lists his allies: Jarāsandha, Dvivida, Śambara, Naraka, Bāṇa. The Bhāgavatam files them for later use — every one of these names will appear in a later chapter of Canto 10 or 11 as a demon Kṛṣṇa kills, displaces, or domesticates. Kaṁsa's friend-list is the Lord's to-do list.

The roster that becomes a casualty-list

Jarāsandha will be killed by Bhīma at Kṛṣṇa's direction (Mahābhārata, Sabhā-parva). Dvivida, the monkey-demon, will be killed by Balarāma in SB 10.67. Śambara was already killed by Pradyumna in SB 10.55. Naraka will be killed by Kṛṣṇa Himself in SB 10.59. Bāṇa will be defeated and his thousand arms cut down in SB 10.62–63.

Kaṁsa's coalition speech names, in one verse, five future Kṛṣṇa-victories. Gauḍīya tradition takes pleasure in pointing out: every demon's roll-call is also Bhagavān's syllabus.

📝 My note

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