[2-20] Krishn said - "Since now both Hans and Dimbak have died, Kans has also been killed, time has also come for Jaraasandh. He cannot be defeated even by Devtaa and Asur jointly together. I think he can be defeated in a duel without any weapon. I know the policy, Bheem has the might and Arjun always wins, I think we can kill him. Because he is proud of his strength, he will call Bheem for a duel, and Bheem will kill him like Death. If you know me, if you have trust in me then give Bheem and Arjun to me."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Hearing this Yudhishtir said - "Hey Achyut, Do not say so. You are the Lord of Paandav, whatever you say is always good for us. [Since you have said this] I consider tha Jataasandh is already dead and my Raajsooya Yagya is completed. I cannot live without you, because it will be like living with disease, and without morality, pleasure and wealth. Arjun cannot live without Krishn and Krishn cannot live without Arjun. So you may take them with you."

So Krishn, Arjun and Bheem all proceeded for Magadh guised in Snaatak Braahman. They looked like the Sun, the Moon and the Fire. Seeing them all thought that Jaraasandh was already killed. They came to a charming lake of lotuses. They passed the Kaalkoot Hills, crossed Gandakee , Sadaaneer, Sarkarvartaa and other Rivers. Then they crossed Saryoo River, Kosal Desh and came to Mithilaa. Crossing the Maalaa and Charmanvatee Rivers the trio came to Magadh Desh in the heart of Kushaamb country. They saw the Gorath hills and Magadh Desh with innumerable trees.

[2-21] Vaasudev said to Arjun - "Arun, See this beautiful city of Magah with fine mansions which is protected by five large hills - Vaihaar, Varaah, Vrishabh, Rishigiri, and Chaitya. See these Lodhraa trees also. Only here Rishi Gautam beget Kakshivat and other celebrated sons from a Shoodra woman named Ausinaree (daughter of Usheenar). Those children and their descendents are the only witness of Gautam's kindness to kings now. Peepal and Lodhraa trees are still standing there near Gautam's Aashram. In olden days here lived Naag, Arbud, etc races. There lived Swaastik and Manu Naag also. Manu Naag himself blessed this country not to afflicted by drought ever; and Kaushik and Manimat also blessed it. Jaraasandh is very proud of this, we will shatter his pride today after killing him.

Talking like this all entered the Girivrij city. Arriving at the gate of the city, Arjun and Bheem shot some arrows at the Chaityak peak which was worshipped by the descendents of Brihadrath (Jaraasandh's father) and broke it. Once Brihadrath killed one cannibal named Rishabh and made three drums out of his skin. He placed them in his city. Their specialty was that once beaten their sound lasted for one full month. After breaking the peak they entered the city. At the same time Braahman saw some bad omens and reported tem to Jaraasandh. Seeing this Jaraasandh kept fast and made vows to ward off those evil omens.

The trio was going looking at the beauty of the city. They snatched some flowers from the shops, took some sandal paste an put them on their body. They were looking like a Saal tree. Magadh people saw them and wondered much. They crossed three gates and came to the King. Jaraasandh got up in haste, washed their feet and offered Arghya - kine and other things. he said - "Welcome." Paarth and Bheem remained silent then Krishn said to him - "These two are under vow, therefore they will not speak, until midnight. After that they will talk to you." So Jaraasandh sent them to their specific places and he himself also went to his palace.

When midnight hour came the King came to see his guests. The King kept his words, he was known or keeping his words throughout the world. He waited upon them. They said to Jaraasandh - "Let salvation be attained by you without difficulty." Jaraasandh said - "Please take your seats." so the trio sat. Jaraasandh looked at them carefully and said - "I know that Braahman taken Snaatak vow never adorn themselves with flowers and fragrant paste. So who are you who have adorned themselves with flowers and their bare hands have the marks of bow string. Since you are wearing flower and paste, you are giving me the impression that you are Braahman, but your hands give the impression that you are a Kshatriya; so who are you? After breaking the Chaityak hill why have you entered the city in disguise fearlessly with royal wrath. The power of a Braahman lives in his speech not in his actions, so this does not suit your profession which you are trying to show. Why didn't you accept my worship? What is your motive to come here?"

Well-skilled in speech Krishn said - "O King, we are Snaatak Braahman. Braahman, Kshatriya, and Vaishya all are competent to take vow of Snaatak. this vow has many general rules - a Kshatriya takes this vow to achieve prosperity, that is why we have adorned ourselves with flowers. Besides, Kshatriya show their power by their arms not in speech; that is why speech by a Kshatriya is not to be heard. If you want to see that power, you will certainly see it today. These are the rules for the ordinance - one enters the enemy's place by a wrong gate and a friend's place by the right gate. This is our vow that since we have entered our enemy's place, we will never accept his worship to us.

[2-23] Jaraasandh said - "In spite of recollecting hard, I do not remember if I have ever harmed you. And when I have never harmed you then why do you consider me as your enemy? Tel me the truth. A Kshatriya who injures another innocent man who knows all rules of morality is a sinner and loses his all prosperity. I have never injured anybody under me." Krishn said - "There is a person at the head of the race who is a dignified king, we have come here on his order. You have captivated many kings in your city, then how do you say you are innocent? How can a virtuous king behave in such a way with other virtuous kings? And now you wish to sacrifice them for Rudra? O Brihadrath Putra, This kind of sin even touches us? We are capable of protecting virtue. We have never seen human sacrifice to please a god. It means that you are treating the people like your own as a sacrificial animal? That is why we have come here to help those people and to kill you. You think that here is no other Kshatriya like you? You are wrong if you think so.

Kshatriya engage themselves in battle as other people engage themselves in sacrifices to attain Heaven. Study of the Ved, great fame, ascetic penance, and death in a battle - all lead to Heaven. The attainment of Heaven by the first acts is uncertain, but death in the battle is a certain way to go to Heaven. It has some other merits also - Indra has got his status by vanquishing Asur in battle. Do not go to the regions of Yam. Dambodhav, Kaartveerya, Uttar, and Brihadrath - all got destruction because they disrespected their elders. We wish to free te kings in your captivity, and arecertainly not Braahman. I am Hrisheekesh or Sauree, and these two brave men are Paandu's sons. O King of Magadh, either you fight with us or free the kings."

Jaraasandh said - "I never capture any king without vanquishing him, so there is no kin here who has not been defeated by me. And this is Kshatriya's Dharm to bring other kings under one's control and then to treat them as slaves. How can I free those kings whom I have brought here for sacrifice? I am ready to fight with one, or two or three, or army with army." Jaraasandh then ordered his son Sahadev to be installed on the throne. Then on the eve of the battle, Jaraasandh thought of his two Generals - Kaushik and Chitrasen. Before they were known as Hans and Dimbak. Krishn, the slayer of Madhu, the younger brother of Haladhar, keeping the command of Brahmaa in view, knew that the king of Magadh has been destined to be killed only by Bheem and not by the descendents of Madhu (Yaadav).

Bheem and Jaraasandh

[2-23] Vaishampaayan Jee said- "When Krishn had known that Jaraasandh has resolved to fight, He asked him - "Which one of us you want to choose for the fight? Who should get prepared to fight with you?" Jaraasandh expressed his wish to fight with Bheem. Then the priest came with certain materials use for fighting and performed the necessary ceremonies to prepare him for the fight. He took off his crown, tied his hair, and got up saying, "It is better to be vanquished by a superior person." Saying this Jaraasandh ran towards Bheem, on behalf of whom Krishn Himself had already invoked Devtaa for his victory.

One was seizing sometimes other's legs, or neck, or arms or waist. Both were bare armed. Both were desirous for victory. They were often slapping their armpits, striking each other's boy with their own. They used Pristhbhang feat used in wrestling, which consisted in throwing each other down with face towards the earth and maintaining the one knocked down in that position as long as possible. They used the techniques Sampoorn Moorchchha, and Poorn Kumbh whle wrestling with each other. Thousands of men came to see this fight, even women were there.

This encounter began on the 1st day (Pratipadaa) of the month of Kaarttik, and they fought without intermission and food, and day and night, till the 13th Lunar day (Trayodashee) - 13 days. It was in the evening on the 14th day of the Lunar month, that Jaraasandh showed some signs of fatigue. So Krihn said to Bheem - "An enemy who is fatigued, cannot be pressed because if he is pressed then he might die. So O Bheem, This King should not be oppressed by you. But you should fight with him with your arms." Bheem understood Krishn's message and resolved to kill him.

[2-24] Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Hearing this Bheem said to Krishn - "This wretched fellow is bent upon fighting with me, I cannot forgive him." Krishn replied him encouraging  - "Bheem, Show your prowess which you have got from you father (Vaayu Dev)." So Bheem lifted him in the air and whirled him there one hundred times. Then he hit him on the ground and kept his foot on his backbone and broke it in two. After killing him he roared loudly.

Note
We have always heard that Bheem was not able to kill Jaraasandh as he was also as mighty as Bheem. So one day Bheem said to Krishn, "Krishn, I am tired of fighting with him. This man is very difficult to kill, how to kill him?" Krishn asked him to continue that day. When Bheem was fighting with him, Krishn showed him a straw tearing in two and throw them in opposite direction and kill him in that way. Bheem understood it and tore his body in two but threw in the opposite direction. In this way his both pieces used to come together and he used to become alive again. Bheem did it several times but Jaraasandh did not die in this way. Then Krishn showed him that he should throw those pieces in opposite direction crossing his hands to kill him. Then Bheem did in that way and finally killed him. But this description gives some other picture.

Besides, Bhaagvat Puraan, 10/u14 says that this fight continued for 28 days.

Seeing Jaraasandh killed in this way all Magadh people became dumb. Paandav left his lifeless body on the gate of the palace as if he was asleep, and went out of town. Krishn decorated Jaraasandh's chariot with excellent flagstaff, asked Bheem and Arjun to sit upon and went in the palace. They released the captured kings and princes. They presented Him many jewels and gems etc. They all came out in that same chariot. That celestial chariot was used by Indra to fight with Asur like Taarak. He had killed 99 Asur riding that chariot. That chariot had celestial horses yoked in it and the trio was looking very handsome in that chariot. Its flagstaff was shinning like a rainbow and could be seen from a Yojan.

When they were coming out of the city Krishn thought of Garud and Garud appeared there within no time and sat on the flagstaff of that chariot. As Garud sat on it, its shine increased a lot. Now nobody could stop that flagstaff, neither trees, nor people. Indra gave this chariot to King Vasu, and the King Vasu gave it to King Brihadrath and King Brihadrath gave it to Jaraasandh. They stopped for some time outside the city. The Braahman and freed kings prayed Krishn and the Kings showing their gratefulness asked Him as what could they do for Him? Krishn said to them - "Yudhishthir is doing a Raajsooya Yagya. That virtuous king wants to have the imperial dignity, so assist him in acquiring it." They said "So be it." and presented Him jewels. Krishn took some of them to show His kindness.

After this Jaraasandh's son Sahadev came with his relatives and officers and worshipped Krishn and presented Him many jewels and precious stones. Krishn accepted his present, made him fearless and installed as the King of Magadh. Now Krishn, Paarth and Bheem left that city laden with lots of jewels.

They all came to Indraprasth. Krishn said to Yudhishthir - "To your good fortune, Bheem has killed Jaraasandh and the kings captured by Jaraasandh have also been freed. Both Paarth and Bheem are safe and are here." Yudhishthir worshipped Krishn and embraced his brothers and made merriment as he had now no enemy to oppose him. Yudhishthir dismissed all the kings who had come to Indraprasth. Thus O Raajan, Krishn eliminated Jaraasandh through Paandav. After taking leave from Paandav, Kuntee, Draupadee, and Subhadraa Krishn went back to Dwaarakaa in the celestial chariot given to Him by Yudhishthir. Paandav stayed in Indraprasth happily thereafter.

2-Sabhaa Parv - Jaraasandh Parv Ends Here