Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.72.28
श्रीभगवानुवाच
युद्धं नो देहि राजेन्द्र द्वन्द्वशो यदि मन्यसे ।
युद्धार्थिनो वयं प्राप्ता राजन्या नान्यकाङ्क्षिण: ॥ २८ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
yuddhaṁ no dehi rājendra
[yuddham no dehi raajendra]
dvandvaśo yadi manyase
[dvandvasho yadi manyase]
yuddhārthino vayaṁ prāptā
[yuddhaarthino vayam praaptaa]
rājanyā nānya-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
[raajanyaa naanya-kaankshinah]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
—
the Supreme Lord (Kṛṣṇa) said
yuddham
—
battle
naḥ
—
to us
dehi
—
please give
rāja - indra
—
O exalted King
dvandvaśaḥ
—
as a one-on-one duel
yadi
—
if
manyase
—
you think it proper
yuddha
—
for a fight
arthinaḥ
—
desirous
vayam
—
we
prāptāḥ
—
have come here
rājanyāḥ
—
members of the royal order
na
—
not
anya
—
anything else
kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
—
wanting .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Lord (Kṛṣṇa) said
yuddhaṁ no dehi rājendra
yuddham
battle
dvandvaśo yadi manyase
yuddhārthino vayaṁ prāptā
rājanyā nānya-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
naḥ
to us
dehi
please give
rāja - indra
O exalted King
dvandvaśaḥ
as a one-on-one duel
yadi
if
manyase
you think it proper
yuddha
for a fight
arthinaḥ
desirous
vayam
we
prāptāḥ
have come here
rājanyāḥ
members of the royal order
na
not
anya
anything else
kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
wanting .
Important Words
-
yuddham
—
battle
Accusative. The petition revealed. Note: not Jarāsandha's life, not his treasury, not his kingdom — just a fair fight. The request honours the kṣatriya code even as it kills its addressee.
-
rāja-indra
—
O exalted King
Compound vocative. Rāja-indra — Indra among kings. Kṛṣṇa preserves the dignity of His enemy verbally even as He sets the trap. Vaiṣṇava warfare is not contemptuous of opponents.
-
dvandvaśaḥ
—
as a one-on-one duel
Adverb. The fight requested is dvandva-yuddha — single combat, governed by strict rules. This is the only form in which Bhīma has any hope; mass war Jarāsandha could not lose.
-
yuddha-arthinaḥ
—
desirous of a fight
Compound nominative. The same word arthinaḥ from verse 18, now revealed. The 'desired gain' was always combat.
The Supreme Lord said: O exalted King, give us battle in the form of a duel, if you think it fitting. We are princes and have come to beg a fight. We have no other request to make of you.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: O exalted King, give us battle in the form of a duel, if you think it fitting. We are princes and have come to beg a fight. We have no other request to make of you.
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Having obtained his promise Kṛṣṇa speak boldly what they want, but not taking Uddhava’s advice to have Bhīma fight him. O king of kings! You have agreed to fight! He also suggests that he can negotiate peace by saying, “If you really wish.” With cleverness he then emphasizes his request. We desire to fight because we are kṣatriyas. We do not desire food like brāhmaṇas. Instead of nānya-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ another version has yuddhetara-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ.
Related values & verses
Related values
Shanti (Peace / Tranquility)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Satya (Truthfulness)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Kṛṣṇa revealed the request: 'Give us battle.' Some asks reveal themselves only after trust has been established. Honesty has its own pacing.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I rushing into hard requests before trust is in place?
- What relationship needs more groundwork before the real ask?
Analogy
Three guests asked for a fight as one might ask for water — that simple, that ordinary. Kṛṣṇa's clarity is itself the strategy: he names the gift, gives Jarāsandha the chance to honour the vow as a kṣatriya rather than as a brāhmaṇa-host, and removes every theatrical layer.
My note
Source: vedabase.io