FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.72.32

अयं तु वयसातुल्यो नातिसत्त्वो न मे सम: । अर्जुनो न भवेद् योद्धा भीमस्तुल्यबलो मम ॥ ३२ ॥
ayaṁ tu vayasātulyo
[ayam tu vayasaatulyo]
nāti-sattvo na me samaḥ
[naati-sattvo na me samah]
arjuno na bhaved yoddhā
[arjuno na bhaved yoddhaa]
bhīmas tulya-balo mama
[bheemas tulya-balo mama]
ayam — this tu — on the other hand vayasā — in age atulyaḥ — unequal na — not ati — much sattvaḥ — having strength na — not me — to me samaḥ — evenly matched arjunaḥ — Arjuna na bhavet — should not be yoddhā — the contender bhīmaḥ — Bhīma tulya — equal balaḥ — in strength mama — with me .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ayaṁ tu vayasātulyo
ayam
this
tu
on the other hand
vayasā
in age
atulyaḥ
unequal
nāti-sattvo na me samaḥ
na
not
ati
much
sattvaḥ
having strength
na
not
me
to me
samaḥ
evenly matched
arjuno na bhaved yoddhā
arjunaḥ
Arjuna
na bhavet
should not be
yoddhā
the contender
bhīmas tulya-balo mama
bhīmaḥ
Bhīma
tulya
equal
balaḥ
in strength
mama
with me .
  • vayasā-atulyaḥ — unequal in age
    Instrumental + adjective. Arjuna is younger than Jarāsandha — kṣatriya code holds the elder should not fight the much-younger. The technicality saves Arjuna for Kurukṣetra.
  • tulya-balaḥ — equal in strength
    Compound nominative. Bhīma alone is equal in mace-strength. Jarāsandha's self-knowledge is accurate — he is the strongest mace-fighter alive — and so is his choice.
  • bhīmaḥ — Bhīma
    Nominative. The chosen opponent. The verse marks the moment Jarāsandha walks into Kṛṣṇa's plan thinking he selected it himself.
“As for this one, Arjuna, he is not as old as I, nor is he very strong. Since he is no match for me, he should not be the contender. Bhīma, however, is as strong as I am.”
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
"As for this one, Arjuna, he is not as old as I, nor is he very strong. Since he is no match for me, he should not be the contender. Bhīma, however, is as strong as I am."
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Though Arjuna is very strong he is not equal in age (vayasā tulyo na).

Related values
Shaucha (Cleanliness / Purity)
Concepts
SattvaJiva
Jarāsandha chose Bhīma as a worthy opponent and dismissed Arjuna as no match. Real warriors take seriously who is in front of them; underestimating costs everything.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom am I currently underestimating?
  • Where does taking someone seriously change the encounter entirely?

Jarāsandha rejects two opponents and chooses one — like a king who measures swords before a duel. He is not stupid; he is precise. But his precision still misses that Kṛṣṇa is the one who chose Bhīma already, and that the duel is already lost.

📝 My note

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