FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.71.5

स वै दुर्विषहो राजा नागायुतसमो बले । बलिनामपि चान्येषां भीमं समबलं विना ॥ ५ ॥
sa vai durviṣaho rājā
[sa vai durvishaho raajaa]
nāgāyuta-samo bale
[naagaayuta-samo bale]
balinām api cānyeṣāṁ
[balinaam api chaanyeshaam]
bhīmaṁ sama-balaṁ vinā
[bheemam sama-balam vinaa]
saḥ — he, Jarāsandha vai — indeed durviṣahaḥ — invincible rājā — king nāga — elephants ayuta — to ten thousand samaḥ — equal bale — in strength balinām — among powerful men api — indeed ca — and anyeṣām — others bhīmam — Bhīma sama - balam — equal in strength vinā — except for .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa vai durviṣaho rājā
saḥ
he, Jarāsandha
vai
indeed
durviṣahaḥ
invincible
rājā
king
nāgāyuta-samo bale
nāga
elephants
ayuta
to ten thousand
samaḥ
equal
bale
in strength
balinām api cānyeṣāṁ
balinām
among powerful men
api
indeed
ca
and
anyeṣām
others
bhīmaṁ sama-balaṁ vinā
bhīmam
Bhīma
sama - balam
equal in strength
vinā
except for .
  • durviṣahaḥ — intolerable, invincible
    Literally 'hard to endure.' Jarāsandha is set up as a force the ordinary kṣatriya cannot bear — making the eventual victory unambiguously Kṛṣṇa's arrangement, not a routine duel.
  • nāga - ayuta - samaḥ — equal to ten thousand elephants
    The standard Bhāgavata idiom for asura-bala. The hyperbole is doctrinal: material strength can be astronomic and still fall to a single devotee acting in Kṛṣṇa's presence.
  • bhīmam — Bhīma
    The name itself means 'terrible.' He is the wind-god's son (Vāyu-putra), a kinship that links him to Hanumān — the same Vāyu lineage that wrecks demons in Rāma-līlā.
The invincible King Jarāsandha is as strong as ten thousand elephants. Indeed, other powerful warriors cannot defeat him. Only Bhīma is equal to him in strength.

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the Yādavas were extremely eager to kill Jarāsandha, and thus to caution them Śrī Uddhava spoke this verse. Jarāsandha’s death could come only at the hand of Bhīma. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that Uddhava had previously deduced this from the Jyotīr-rāga and other astrological scriptures he had learned from his teacher Bṛhaspati.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The invincible King Jarāsandha is as strong as ten thousand elephants. Indeed, other powerful warriors cannot defeat him. Only Bhīma is equal to him in strength.
Commentary

Seeing that the Yadavas were very eager to immediately kill Jarasandha he speaks this verse. Others even though they may be stronger, cannot defeat him. Even though Bhima is just equal in strength, he can kill Jarasandha. I have concluded this from the astrological scriptures taught by Brhaspati.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

“Why can the Pāṇḍavas not kill Jarāsandha?” Three verses explain. It is well known (vai). He is equal to ten thousand elephants in strength and cannot be conquered by other powerful warriors. He also has a huge army (rājaḥ).

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
Only Bhīma equals Jarāsandha in strength. Recognizing the one person fit for the task is itself a form of wisdom; not everyone is suited for every challenge.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose particular gift is right for the challenge I'm facing — and have I called on them?
  • Where am I trying to do a Bhīma-task without being Bhīma?

Jarāsandha with the strength of ten thousand elephants is like a fortress wall too thick for arrows — only a wrestler's grip, Bhīma's, can find the joint and pull it apart.

Bhīma and the elephant Aśvatthāmā

Throughout the Mahābhārata, Bhīma is the one match for any force of mass — he tears Duḥśāsana, breaks Duryodhana's thigh, lifts the elephant Aśvatthāmā in Drona-parva.

The brāhmaṇas' verdict in this verse — that only Bhīma equals Jarāsandha in bala — is not flattery but engineering. Kṛṣṇa's plan matches the right instrument to the right joint.

📝 My note

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