Shloka 13

अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit

Devanagari script

त॑ दृष्टवा विस्मयं जम्मुर्गान्धारा: सर्व एव ते । इच्छता तेन न हतो राजेत्यसि च त॑ विदु:

Transliteration

taṁ dṛṣṭvā vismayaṁ jagmur gāndhārāḥ sarva eva te | icchatā tena na hato rājety asi ca taṁ viduḥ ||

Translation

यह देखकर समस्त गान्धारों को बड़ा विस्मय हुआ और वे सब-के-सब यह समझ गये कि अर्जुन ने जान-बूझकर गान्धारराज को जीवित छोड़ दिया।

Word by Word

• तत्: that (event/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जग्मुः: they went / they came to (a state)
• जग्मुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• गान्धाराः: the Gandhāras
• गान्धाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इच्छता: by (him) wishing / intentionally
• इच्छता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तेन: by him / by that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हतः: killed
• हतः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present (लट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तत्: that (fact)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: they knew / they understood
• विदुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāndhāras
• Gāndhāra-rāja (king of Gandhāra)
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights intentional restraint as a moral choice: sparing an enemy can be recognized as deliberate compassion and self-control, not weakness, aligning power with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Gandhāras witness that their king remains alive and are amazed; they conclude that Arjuna consciously chose not to kill him.