jarA [ jF-aN guRaH ] (The word jaras is optionally substituted for jarA before vowel terminations after acc. dual) 1 Old age; kEkeyISaMkayevAha palitacCadmanA jarA R. 12. 2 ; tasya DarmaraterAsId vfdDatvaM jarayA (jarasA) vinA 1. 23. 2 Decrepitude, infirmity, general debility consequent on old age. 3 Praise. 4 Digestion. 5 N. of a female demon; see jarAsaMDa below. 6 Invoking, greeting. Comp. — avasTA decrepitude. — Atura a. 1 infirm. 2 old. — jIrRa a. old through age, debilitated, infirm; Bh. 3. 17. — puzwa = jarAsaMDa . — BIruH the god of love, Cupid. — saMDaH N. of a celebrated king and warrior, son of Bṛhadratha. [According to a legend, he was born divided in two halves which were put together by a Rākṣasī called Jarā, whence the boy was called Jarāsandha. He became king of Magadha and Cedi after his father's death. When he heard that Kṛṣṇa had slain his son-inlaw Kaṃsa, he gathered a large army and besieged Mathurā eighteen times, but was as often repulsed. When Yudhishṭhira performed the great Rājasūya sacrifice, Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and Bhīma went to the capital of Jarāsaṃdha disguised as Brāhmaṇas, chiefly with the object of slaying their enemy and liberating the kings imprisoned by him. He, however, refused to release the kings, whereupon Bhīma challenged him to a single combat. The challenge was accepted; a hard fight ensued, but Jarāsandha was at last overpowered and slain by Bhīma].