Shloka 9
Adhyāya 45 — Duryodhana’s Distress, Śakuni’s Counsel, and the Summons for Dyūta
अश्रमेधे हयं मेध्यमुत्सूष्टं रक्षिभि्वृतम् । पितुर्मे यज्ञविघ्नार्थमहरत् पापनिश्चय:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: aśvamedhe hayaṃ medhyam utsṛṣṭaṃ rakṣibhir vṛtam | pitur me yajñavighnārtham aharat pāpaniścayaḥ ||
বৈশম্পায়নে ক’লে—মোৰ পিতা অশ্বমেধ যজ্ঞত দীক্ষিত হৈছিল; ৰক্ষকৰ বেষ্টনীত পবিত্ৰ অশ্বটো মুক্ত কৰা হৈছিল। তথাপি পাপনিশ্চয়ী সেই দুষ্কৃতীয়ে যজ্ঞত বিঘ্ন ঘটাবলৈ অশ্বটো অপহৰণ কৰিলে।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Deliberately obstructing a sacred duty (yajña) is portrayed as a grave ethical failing: the verse marks the thief as pāpaniścaya—one firmly resolved on wrongdoing—highlighting that intent (niścaya) intensifies moral culpability.
During the performance of an Aśvamedha, the consecrated horse—ritually released and guarded—gets stolen by a malicious person specifically to disrupt the speaker’s father’s sacrifice.