Shloka 6
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
ते वध्यमाना: पार्थेन हयमुत्सृज्य सम्भ्रमात्
te vadhyamānāḥ pārthena hayam utsṛjya sambhramāt
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Von Pārtha (Arjuna) niedergestreckt, gaben sie—von Panik überwältigt—das Aśvamedha-Opferpferd preis und flohen in wirrer Verwirrung. Die Szene zeigt, wie Furcht und Unordnung entstehen, wenn Aggression auf rechtmäßigen Widerstand trifft, und wie das Opferpferd zum zentralen Sinnbild der Souveränität wird, das die Herausforderer nicht zu ergreifen vermögen.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When power is exercised in defense of rightful order (dharma), those driven by challenge or greed often collapse into fear and confusion; the verse highlights the moral and political weight carried by the Aśvamedha horse as a symbol of legitimate sovereignty.
As Arjuna attacks and overpowers the opposing group, they panic and abandon the sacrificial horse, retreating in disorder—showing Arjuna’s successful protection of the Aśvamedha procession.