Word

Jarasandha

Sanskrit

जरासन्ध

IAST

jarāsandha

In General

The infamous king of Maghadha opposed to Sri Krishna and Pandavas. Jarasandha gave in marriage his two daughters to Kamsa. Sri Krishna killed Kamsa, so Jarasandha had a personal enmity with Sri Krishna. Jarasandha was always against Pandavas, so Sri Krishna decided to eliminate him before the first Aswamedhayajna of Yudhisthira and accordingly Bhima challenged him for a duel and killed him.

Geneology: Puru - Janamejaya – Pracinvan – Pravira – Namasyu – Vitabhaya – Sundu – Bahuvidha – Sarhyati - Rahovadi – Raudrasva- Matinara - Santurodha - Dushyanta – Bharata - Suhotra – Suhota – Gala – Garda - Suketu - Brhatksatra - Hasti – Ajamidha –Hasti - Sarhvarana - Rksa - Kuru – sudhanus – Suhotra – Cyavana – Krti – Uparicaravasu - Brhadratha – Jarasandha

Purana

The figure of Jara was sculptured on the wall of the Palace of Brhadratha, the King of Magadha to defend misfortune and bad forces. Brhadratha had married twin daughters of the King of Kasi and for a long time he did not had any issues in his wives. The King was very sorry, and went to the forest and met the hermit Kaksivan, the son of Gautama and requested his blessing for a son. The sage gave a divine mango to king and told him that by eating the fruit his wife will bear a child. The King happily accepted the mango, divided it into two and gave them to his wives. The queens became pregnant and in due course both delivered. But each of them gave birth to only half of a child. The horrified queens abandoned the unexpected object. Jara, indebted to king for worshiping her decided to help the king. She ran to the spot and joined the two portions together. Instantly it became a child of proper form and health. Hearing the cry of the child the mothers came out and accepted the child from Jara and named it Jarasandha.

Jarasandha had four sons: Soma Sahadeva Turya and Srutasru. Sahadeva became King of Magadha, after the death of Jarasandha.

Asti and Prapti, the two wives of Kamsa, were daughters of Jarasandha. When Sri Krishna killed Kamsa, the two daughters of Jarasandha became widows. Though Krishna and Balarama did not accepted throne but installed Ugrasena, the father of Kamsa as king of Madhura; the children of Kamasa and other family members were still doubtful about Krishna and his people. All this incidences and were enough to fuel Jarasandha to attack Madhura. Jarasandha marched his army to Madhura many times and allied with the enemies of Krishna to give all kind of trouble to Madhura. Once during war, Balabhadrarama caught hold of Jarasandha and was about to kill him, when an ethereal voice said that Balabhadrarama was not the person to kill Jarasandha. Accordingly Rama and Krishna set Jarasandha free. Since the enmity is personal and not towards Madhura, Krishna and Balarama decided to leave the place for Dwaraka as it will help the citizens of Madhura.