Shloka 24
Traigarta Attempt to Seize the Aśvamedha Horse; Arjuna’s Restraint and Tactical Victory
पृथ्वीनाथ! वह घोड़ा पृथ्वीकी प्रदक्षिणा करने लगा। सबसे पहले वह उत्तर दिशाकी ओर गया। फिर राजाओंके अनेक राज्योंको रौंदता हुआ वह उत्तम अश्व॒ पूर्वकी ओर मुड़ गया। उस समय श्वेतवाहन महारथी अर्जुन धीरे-धीरे उसके पीछे-पीछे जा रहे थे ।। तत्र संगणना नास्ति राज्ञामयुतशस्तदा । येड्युध्यन्त महाराज क्षत्रिया हतबान्धवा:,महाराज! महाभारत-युद्धमें जिनके भाई-बन्धु मारे गये थे, ऐसे जिन-जिन क्षत्रियोंने उस समय अर्जुनके साथ युद्ध किया था, उन हजारों नरेशोंकी कोई गिनती नहीं है
vaiśampāyana uvāca | pṛthvīnātha! sa aśvaḥ pṛthivyāḥ pradakṣiṇāṃ kartum ārabdhaḥ | prathamaṃ sa uttarāṃ diśaṃ jagāma | tataḥ sa rājñāṃ bahūni rājyāni mṛdnann uttamo 'śvaḥ pūrvāṃ diśaṃ nivavṛte | tasmin kāle śvetavāhano mahārathī arjunaḥ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ tasya paścāt paścād anvagacchat || tatra saṅgaṇanā nāsti rājñām ayutaśas tadā | ye 'yudhyanta mahārāja kṣatriyā hatabāndhavāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O lord of the earth, that sacrificial horse set out to circumambulate the world. First it went toward the northern quarter; then, trampling through the many realms of kings, the excellent steed turned toward the east. At that time Arjuna, the great chariot-warrior with white steeds, followed it steadily, step by step. There was no counting the kings then—tens of thousands—Kṣatriyas whose kinsmen had been slain in the Great Bhārata war, who rose to fight, O king.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the tension between ritual-political dharma and the lingering wounds of war: the Aśvamedha asserts lawful sovereignty, yet many bereaved Kṣatriyas, driven by honor and grief, challenge it. It underscores that restoring order after a devastating conflict often requires facing unresolved resentment within the bounds of royal duty.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha, the sacrificial horse begins its circuit of the earth, first heading north and then turning east through many kingdoms. Arjuna, as the appointed protector, follows behind. Numerous kings—especially Kṣatriyas who lost relatives in the Bhārata war—confront Arjuna in battle, so many that they are said to be beyond counting.