Text 17
te gatvātithya-velāyāṁ
gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinam
brahmaṇyaṁ samayāceran
rājanyā brahma-liṅginaḥ
te — they; gatvā — going; ātithya — for receiving uninvited guests; velāyām — at the appointed hour; gṛheṣu — in his residence; gṛha-medhinam — from the religious householder; brahmaṇyam — respectful to brāhmaṇas; samayāceran — begged; rājanyāḥ — the kings; brahma-liṅginaḥ — appearing with the signs of brāhmaṇas.
Disguised as brāhmaṇas, the royal warriors approached Jarāsandha at home during the appointed hour for receiving guests. They submitted their entreaty to that dutiful householder, who was especially respectful to the brahminical class.
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “King Jarāsandha was a very dutiful householder, and he had great respect for the brāhmaṇas. He was a great fighter, a kṣatriya king, but he was never neglectful of the Vedic injunctions. According to Vedic injunctions, the brāhmaṇas are considered to be the spiritual masters of all other castes. Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and Bhīmasena were actually kṣatriyas, but they dressed themselves as brāhmaṇas, and at the time when King Jarāsandha was to give charity to the brāhmaṇas and receive them as guests, they approached him.”