Shloka 4
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
तेडविदूराद् धनुष्पाणिं यज्ञियस्थ हयस्य च । बीभत्सुं प्रत्यपद्यन्त पदातिनमवस्थितम्,यज्ञसम्बन्धी घोड़ेसे थोड़ी ही दूरपर अर्जुन हाथमें धनुष लिये पैदल ही खड़े थे। वे सभी क्षत्रिय उनके पास जा पहुँचे
Te dūrād dhanur-pāṇiṁ yajñiyasya hayasya ca | Bībhatsuṁ pratyapadyanta padātinam avasthitam ||
Dijo Vaiśaṃpāyana: A poca distancia vieron a Arjuna—terrible en la batalla—de pie a pie, con el arco en la mano, apostado junto al caballo sacrificial. Entonces aquellos kṣatriyas se le acercaron. La escena subraya el límite moral del Aśvamedha: el caballo es un emblema ritual de soberanía, y desafiar a su guardián pone a prueba si el poder se buscará mediante un reto legítimo o mediante una agresión temeraria contra un rito enmarcado por el dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma at the intersection of ritual and power: the Aśvamedha horse represents lawful sovereignty, and approaching its guardian is not mere violence but a test of whether one engages in a sanctioned, honor-bound challenge rather than disrupting a sacred rite.
A group of kṣatriyas see Arjuna nearby, standing on foot with his bow, positioned by the sacrificial horse, and they come up to him—setting the stage for a confrontation connected to the Aśvamedha’s roaming horse.