Shloka 13

Aśvamedha-dīkṣā, Vyāsa’s horse-release, and Arjuna’s departure with Gāṇḍīva (आश्वमेधिक-दीक्षा तथा हय-उत्सर्गः)

Devanagari script

पृथिवीं पर्यटन्तं हि तुरगं कामचारिणम्‌ । कः पालयेदिति मुने तद्‌ भवान्‌ वक्तुमहति

Transliteration

pṛthivīṃ paryaṭantaṃ hi turagaṃ kāmacāriṇam | kaḥ pālayed iti mune tad bhavān vaktum arhati ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O sage, this horse is to roam over the earth at will. Please tell me—who should guard it, and how should it be released so that it may wander freely across the whole world according to its own course?”

Word by Word

• {'pṛthivīm': 'the earth, the world', 'paryaṭantam': 'wandering about, roaming', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'turagam': 'horse (lit. ‘going swiftly’)', 'kāmacāriṇam': 'moving as it wishes

• roaming at will', 'kaḥ': 'who?', 'pālayet': 'should protect, guard, keep watch over', 'iti': 'thus

• as (in reported speech)', 'mune': 'O sage', 'tat': 'that (matter)', 'bhavān': 'you (honorific)', 'vaktum': 'to say, to explain', 'arhati': 'is worthy/fit

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• muni (sage)
• Aśvamedha horse
• pṛthivī (the earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a royal rite like the Aśvamedha must be conducted under dharma: freedom of movement (the horse roaming at will) is paired with accountable protection and proper procedure, so that power is exercised with restraint and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

As preparations for the Aśvamedha proceed, Yudhiṣṭhira consults a sage about the practical and ritual arrangement: the horse must be released to wander across the earth, and he asks who should accompany and guard it during its unrestricted circuit.