Shloka 3
वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्
Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit
सो$भिनिर्याय नगराद् भगदत्तसुतो नृप: । अश्वमायान्तमुन्मथ्य नगराभिमुखो ययौ,नगरसे निकलकर भगदत्तकुमार राजा वज्रदत्तने अपनी ओर आते हुए घोड़ेको बलपूर्वक पकड़ लिया और उसे साथ लेकर वह नगरकी ओर चला
so 'bhiniryāya nagarād bhagadattasuto nṛpaḥ | aśvam āyāntam unmathya nagarābhimukho yayau ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Der König, Bhagadattas Sohn, zog aus der Stadt hinaus. Das herannahende Opferross packte er mit Gewalt, wandte sich stadteinwärts und ging weiter, es mit sich führend — eine Tat, die den bewussten Trotz gegen den im Aśvamedha erhobenen Anspruch auf Oberherrschaft kundtut.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ritual acts like the Aśvamedha function as assertions of political sovereignty; forcibly stopping or taking the horse is not merely a physical act but an ethical-political declaration of resistance, which traditionally entails accountability through confrontation and the restoration of order (dharma) in the realm.
Bhagadatta’s son, King Vajrādattā, comes out of the city, forcibly grabs the approaching Aśvamedha horse, and turns back toward the city with it—effectively detaining the horse and challenging the authority behind the sacrifice.