A powerful king of Magadha, son of Brihadratha, who was born in two halves united by the rakshasi Jara, and was eventually slain in a wrestling duel by Bhima.
जरासन्ध (jarāsandha) [Printed book page 354-1] Jarāsandha1, king of the Māgadhas, son of Bṛhadratha.
§ 4 (Anukram.): I, 1, 129, †153 (Māgadhānāṃ variṣṭhaṃ).—
§ 130 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 67, 2640 (incarnation of the Asura
Vipracitti).—§ 232 (Svayaṃvarap.): I, 186, 7003 (present
at the svayaṃvara of Draupadī).—§ 233 (do.): I, 187, 7030.
—§ 273 (Rājasūyārambhap.): II, 14, 571, 574, 576, 582,
588, 589, 593, 599, 602, 608, 610, 618, 626, 628, 631, 633
(J.'s great might, his allies; many peoples fled from fear of
him; Kaṃsa married the daughters of J., Asti and Prāpti,
who when he had been slain by Kṛṣṇa, urged J. to attack
the Yādavas, who fled from Mathurā to Dvārakā; J. wor-
shipped Śiva; the defeated kings he kept enclosed in Girivraja).
—§ 274 (do.): II, 15, 641, 651 (Bārhadrathaḥ), 653, 655,
658, 659 (kept the kings in the temple of Śiva in order to
sacrifice them, and must be defeated that Yudhiṣṭhira might
perform his rājasūya); 16, 662, 673.—§ 275 (do.): II, 17,
686, 687 (J.'s birth; the two wives of Bṛhadratha bore
each one-half of a child; the Rākṣasī Jarā united the two
halves); 18, 739 (because he had been united (sandhitaḥ)
by Jarā he was named J.); 19, 756, 757, 758, 760 (after the
slaughter of Kaṃsa, J. hurled a mace toward Mathurā).—§ 276
(Jarāsandhavadhap.): II, 20, 768, 778, 791 (Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna,
and Bhīma set out for Girivraja to slay J.); 21, 808, 815,
818, 819, 821, 824, 829, 835, 837, 839 (receives Kṛṣṇa,
Arjuna, and Bhīma disguised as brahmans); 22, (854), 865,
(880), 884, 888 (challenged to fight, J. installed his son
Sahadeva as king); 23, 890, 892 (Māgadhaḥ), 893, 894, 897,
898, 923, 924 (engaged in a wrestling encounter with
Bhīmasena); 24, 925, 927, 928, 929, 932 (Bhīmasena at
last killed J.), 935 (description of his chariot), 950, 955, 969,
972 (kṣīṇe), 975.—§ 289 (Arghāharaṇap.): II, 37, 1360
(had been slain by Kṛṣṇa(!)).—§ 290 (Śiśupālavadhap.):
II, 42, 1474, 1475, 1476, 1478 (all. to § 277); 44, 1529
(had been vanquished by Karṇa in a wrestling encounter and
slain (?dehabhedañ ca lambhitaḥ, cf. XII, 132)).—§ 307
Page354-b+ 63 (Anudyūtap.): II, 81, 2706 (had been slain by Bhīmasena).—
§ 315 (Maitreyaśāpa): III, 10, 371 (do.).—§ 317b (Kṛṣṇa
Vāsudeva): III, 12, 489 (had been slain by Kṛṣṇa (!)).—
§ 561 (Yānasandhip.): V, 51, 2055 (Māgadhendreṇa, had
subdued the whole earth and had been slain by Bhīmasena).—
§ 567 (Bhagavadyānap.): V, 130ξ, 4411 (had been slain by
Kṛṣṇa(!)).—§ 588 (Bhīṣmavadhap.): VI, 122, 5834 (could
not vanquish Karṇa).—§ 589 (Droṇābhiṣekap.): VII, 11,
387 (Kaṃsaḥ…J°ena pālitaḥ), 393 (°ṃ…Janārdanaḥ
…ghātayām āsa).—§ 600 (Ghaṭotkacavadhap.): VII, 180,
†8210 (had been slain by Kṛṣṇa (!)); 181δδ, 8213 (do.),
8217, 8220, 8224, 8225, 8227, 8228 (J. hurled a mace against
Balarāma, who baffled it with his Sthūṇākarṇa weapon; the
mace fell down on earth and slew the Rākṣasī Jarā (who had
united J.), together with her sons and relatives. Deprived of
his mace, J. was afterwards slain by Bhīmasena).—§ 621
(Rājadh.): XII, 4ε, 113 (present at the svayaṃvara of the
daughter of the Kaliṅga king Citrāṅgada); 5, 129 (rājā
Māgadhaḥ, challenged Karṇa, who in a wrestling encounter
vanquished him (?bibheda sandhiṃ dehasya Jarayā śleṣitasya
hi, v. 132); J. then gave the town Mālinī to Karṇa).—
§ 717b (Nārāyaṇīya): XII, 340, 12960 (Asuraḥ sphīto
bhūmipālo Girivraje, incarnate as Kṛṣṇa Nārāyaṇa will slay
him).—§ 768b (Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva): XIII, 147, 6839
(Kṛṣṇa will vanquish J. and liberate the imprisoned kings).
—§ 788 (Āśramavāsap.): XV, 25, †668 (Magadhādhipasya
sutā J°a iti śrutasya, i.e. the wife of Sahadeva Pāṇḍava).
Cf. Bārhadratha, Māgadha, Magadhādhipa, Magadhādhipati,
Magadheśvara.
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