The story of Jarasandha is a tale from the Mahabharata about a powerful warrior and king of Magadha who Bhima eventually killed.
The story highlights the unpredictability of fate and the consequences of one’s actions.
Birth of Jarasandha
- King Vrihadratha of Magadha was unable to have children, so he sought a magical mango from a sage.
- The mango produced two malformed infants, which their mothers abandoned.
- A maid was tasked with burying the infants in the forest, but instead threw them away.
- A cannibalistic woman from the forest found the infants, wrapped them together, and took them to the palace.
- The king named the child Jarasandha, which means “one who was put together by Jara”.
Jarasandha’s rise to power
- Jarasandha grew up to be a strong and capable ruler, feared for his battle skills.
- He was a rival of the Yadav clan.
Jarasandha’s defeat
- Lord Krishna, Bhima, and Arjuna disguised as Brahmins traveled to Magadha to defeat Jarasandha.
- Krishna challenged Jarasandha to a duel, and Jarasandha chose Bhima
- Bhima killed Jarasandha by splitting him in two.