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 dijo: Abatidos por Pārtha (Arjuna), ellos—presa del pánico—abandonaron el caballo del Aśvamedha y huyeron en confusión. La escena muestra cómo el miedo y el desorden nacen cuando la agresión tropieza con la resistencia legítima, y cómo el caballo sacrificial se vuelve el símbolo central de la soberanía que los desafiantes no logran arrebatar.
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.