Shloka 12
Rājagṛhe Magadheśvarasya yuddhāhvānam — Arjunena saṃyamaḥ
The Rājagṛha Challenge and Arjuna’s Restraint
तांक्षापि विजयो जित्वा नातितीव्रेण कर्मणा । तुरज़्मवशेनाथ सुराष्ट्रानभितो ययौ
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tāṃś cāpi Vijayo jitvā nātitīvreṇa karmaṇā | turagām avaśenātha Surāṣṭrān abhito yayau ||
Mereka pun ditundukkan oleh Vijaya, namun tanpa tindakan yang terlampau keras. Lalu, karena terdorong oleh arah jelajah kuda kurban, ia mengitari wilayah Surāṣṭra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Victory should be exercised with restraint: conquest is not an excuse for cruelty. The verse highlights dharmic kingship—subduing opposition without excessive harshness—and frames power as accountable to ethical conduct.
After subduing the concerned groups/regions, Vijaya continues the Ashvamedha progress by following the sacrificial horse’s wandering path, moving around Surāṣṭra as the horse leads, rather than choosing targets purely by ambition.