SB 10.72.30 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एवमावेदितो राजा जहासोच्चै: स्म मागध: । आह चामर्षितो मन्दा युद्धं तर्हि ददामि व: ॥ ३० ॥

Verse text

evam āvedito rājā jahāsoccaiḥ sma māgadhaḥ āha cāmarṣito mandā yuddhaṁ tarhi dadāmi vaḥ

Synonyms

evam — thus ; āveditaḥ — invited ; rāja — the King ; jahāsa — laughed ; uccaiḥ — out loud ; sma — indeed ; māgadhaḥ — Jarāsandha ; āha — he said ; ca — and ; amarṣitaḥ — intolerant ; mandāḥ — O fools ; yuddham — battle ; tarhi — then ; dadāmi — I will give ; vaḥ — to you .

Translation

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus challenged, Magadharāja laughed out loud and contemptuously said, “All right, you fools, I’ll give you a fight!

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus challenged, Magadharāja laughed out loud and contemptuously said, "All right, you fools, I'll give you a fight! KB 10.72.30 When Lord Kṛṣṇa disclosed their disguise, King Jarāsandha laughed very loudly, and then in great anger and in a grave voice he exclaimed, “You fools! If you want to fight with me, I immediately grant your request.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that Jarāsandha felt inner satisfaction because he thought that his enemies had been humiliated by having to dress like brāhmaṇas to approach him. Thus the ācārya understands Jarāsandha’s mind as follows: “O weak ones, forget the botheration of fighting. Why not just accept my head? By dressing yourselves as brāhmaṇas begging charity, you have made your heroism set like the sun, but if somehow you have not lost your courage, I will give you battle.” The ācārya finally points out that the goddess of learning intends the phrase amarṣito mandāḥ to read amarṣito ’mandāḥ. In other words, Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas are amandāḥ, “never foolish.” And that is why they chose the best tactic for doing away once and for all with the cruel Jarāsandha.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

He laughed because he got inner satisfaction that they had to demean themselves by dressing as brahmanas. "O fools! Oh weaklings! Why should you have to fight at all? I will give you my head. By dressing yourselves as begging brahmanas your bravery is finished. However, if you have not given up your courage, I will give you a fight." The unintended meaning of manda however by sandhi, is Amanda, "O intelligent ones."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Jarāsandha laughed loudly since though they had pretended to be humble brāhmaṇas in the end he was satisfied on knowing the truth and also wanted to mock them. He was proud and without reserve, showing himself as a king (rāja). The people of Magadha had angry natures. Thus it was appropriate that the king of Magadha showed anger (amarṣitaḥ). O cowards (mandāḥ)! He says this because they came disguised as brāhmaṇas. Another meaning is amarṣitaḥ amandāḥ. This means “O intelligent ones or most excellent ones!”