Shloka 17
ततो<भ्येत्य हयं वीरो यज्ञियं पार्थरक्षितम् ग्राहयामास पुरुषैर्ठयशिक्षाविशारदै:,पार्थद्वारा सुरक्षित उस यज्ञसम्बन्धी अश्वके पास जाकर उस वीरने अश्वशिक्षाविशारद पुरुषोंद्वारा उसे पकड़वा लिया
tato 'bhyetya hayaṃ vīro yajñiyaṃ pārtharakṣitam | grāhayāmāsa puruṣair aśvaśikṣāviśāradaiḥ ||
Alors le héros s’approcha du cheval sacrificiel, gardé par Arjuna, et le fit saisir par des hommes versés dans l’art de dresser et de maîtriser les chevaux—un geste qui marque un défi direct à l’autorité et à la sainteté du rite de l’Aśvamedha.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between royal ritual authority (the Aśvamedha horse as a symbol of sovereignty) and acts that contest it. Seizing the sacrificial horse is not merely physical capture; it is a deliberate challenge to the rite’s legitimacy and the king’s dharmic claim to rule, inviting a response that tests restraint, justice, and rightful conduct.
A valiant figure comes up to the Aśvamedha horse that is under Arjuna’s protection and orders expert horse-handlers to seize it. This escalates the episode into a confrontation centered on the sacrificial horse, a key emblem of the ongoing royal rite.