FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.50.18

तव राम यदि श्रद्धा युध्यस्व धैर्यमुद्वह । हित्वा वा मच्छरैश्छिन्नं देहं स्वर्याहि मां जहि ॥ १८ ॥
tava rāma yadi śraddhā
[tava raama yadi shraddhaa]
yudhyasva dhairyam udvaha
[yudhyasva dhairyam udvaha]
hitvā vā mac-charaiś chinnaṁ
[hitvaa vaa mach-charaish chinnam]
dehaṁ svar yāhi māṁ jahi
[deham svar yaahi maam jahi]
tava — Your rāma — O Balarāma yadi — if śraddhā — confidence yudhyasva — fight dhairyam — courage udvaha — take up hitvā — leaving aside vā — either mat — my śaraiḥ — by the arrows chinnam — cut to pieces deham — Your body svaḥ — to heaven yāhi — go mām — (or else) me jahi — kill .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tava rāma yadi śraddhā
tava
Your
rāma
O Balarāma
yadi
if
śraddhā
confidence
yudhyasva dhairyam udvaha
yudhyasva
fight
dhairyam
courage
udvaha
take up
hitvā vā mac-charaiś chinnaṁ
hitvā
leaving aside
vā
either
mat
my
śaraiḥ
by the arrows
chinnam
cut to pieces
dehaṁ svar yāhi māṁ jahi
deham
Your body
svaḥ
to heaven
yāhi
go
mām
(or else) me
jahi
kill .
  • rāma — O Balarāma
    Vocative. Jarāsandha distinguishes the elder brother as the only worthy opponent; he himself is unaware that Balarāma is Saṅkarṣaṇa, the original ādi-guru. The demon's mis-reading is itself the līlā's setup.
  • śraddhā — confidence/faith
    Here used in a kṣatriya sense — confidence to engage. Contrasted with Gauḍīya śraddhā as ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu) — the devotional faith that initiates bhakti. Same word, two universes.
  • svaḥ — to heaven
    Svar — the heavenly realms. Kṣatriya formula: die in battle and ascend to svarga. But svarga in Bhāgavata frame is itself karma-bandha — the destination Jarāsandha offers is not actually salvation. Kṛṣṇa's vadha leads to mukti; svarga-gati leads back into saṁsāra.
You, Rāma, should gather Your courage and fight with me, if You think You can do it. You may either give up Your body when it is cut to pieces by my arrows, and thus attain to heaven, or else kill me.

According to ācārya Śrīdhara Svāmī, Jarāsandha suspected that Lord Balarāma’s body was indestructible, and thus he offered what might be a more practical alternative, that Balarāma kill Jarāsandha.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
You, Rāma, should gather Your courage and fight with me, if You think You can do it. You may either give up Your body when it is cut to pieces by my arrows, and thus attain to heaven, or else kill me.
Commentary

Thinking that his body was invincible, Jarasandha offered the alternative with satisfaction, "Give up your body, cut by my arrows, or you kill me." Another meaning is: "Go away from me (mat) since I am so sinful, and go to Vaikuntha (svar), having left aside my body cut by arrows."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Instead of tava sometimes tvam tu is seen. The word tu in that case means “and.” Fight, if you have desire to fight (śraddhā), since you are so fearful of me. Instead of dhairyam sometimes sthairyam is seen. Make yourself steady with the strength of our arms. Do not be agitated and flee away.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)
Related verses
Rāma, gather courage and fight me if You can — either die and attain heaven or kill me. Bullies offer 'fair' deals that are designed to humiliate either way.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you accepted a 'fair' deal whose framing was rigged against you?
  • How do you decline framings rather than just declining the deal?

Jarāsandha throws the challenge specifically at Balarāma, the senior, the way a beaten man throws a stone at the elder of two passing brothers. Even his insults are arranged by Kṛṣṇa — they will pull Balarāma forward to do the seizing in verse 30.

📝 My note

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