Jarasandha Prepares for Battle and Krishna Remembers Destiny
With the debate over, Jarasandha prepares for battle, remembering his famed generals. Krishna, in turn, remembers a prophecy about how Jarasandha must die, and makes a deliberate choice about who should face him.
Having issued his challenge, Jarasandha moved from words to action. He gave orders that Sahadeva — one of the three challengers now revealed as a Pandava — should be formally instated as an opponent. He readied himself to do battle with those whose deeds were terrible.
As the time for battle approached, the king’s mind turned to his might. He remembered his two great generals, Koushika and Chitrasena, whose names in the world of men had once been Hamsa and Dibhaka — names that had been renowned and worshipped by all people. They were not present, but their memory was part of his strength.
The lord Shouri — Krishna — supreme among the strong, also remembered. But what he remembered was not a general or a strategy. He remembered a destiny.
It had been destined that Jarasandha would be killed by the valorous Bhima.
Krishna, also called Madhusudana and the younger brother of Haladhara (Balarama), was foremost among those who had controlled themselves. He knew his own power. He could have chosen to end the conflict himself. But he wished to show respect to Brahma, the creator from whom this destiny had flowed. He did not wish to kill Jarasandha himself.
The prophecy narrowed the path. The confrontation would not be army against army, or one against three. The resolution would come through single combat, and the hand that would strike the final blow was already foretold. Krishna’s decision was one of restraint and adherence to a larger design, setting the stage for Bhima to step forward and fulfill the role written for him.