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Shloka 1

Traigarta Attempt to Seize the Aśvamedha Horse; Arjuna’s Restraint and Tactical Victory

Devanagari script

ऑपन-- माल छा अकाल त्रिसप्ततितमो<ध्याय: सेनासहित अर्जुनके द्वारा अश्वका अनुसरण वैशम्पायन उवाच दीक्षाकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते ततस्ते सुमहर्त्विज: । विधिवद्‌ दीक्षयामासुरश्चवमेधाय पार्थिवम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! जब दीक्षाका समय आया, तब उन व्यास आदि महान्‌ ऋत्विजोंने राजा युधिष्ठिरको विधिपूर्वक अश्वमेधयज्ञकी दीक्षा दी

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: dīkṣākāle tu samprāpte tatas te sumahartvijaḥ | vidhivad dīkṣayāmāsur aśvamedhāya pārthivam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: When the time for consecration arrived, those eminent officiating priests then duly initiated the king for the Aśvamedha sacrifice. The narrative underscores that even royal power must be placed under ritual law and disciplined restraint, so that sovereignty is exercised in alignment with dharma rather than mere force.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

दीक्षाकालेat the time of consecration (dīkṣā)

तुbut/indeed

सम्प्राप्तेhaving arrived/when (it) had come

ततःthen/thereupon

तेthey

सुमहर्त्विजःvery great priests (ṛtviks)

विधिवत्according to rule, duly

दीक्षयामासुःconsecrated (initiated)

अश्वमेधायfor the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

पार्थिवम्the king (earth-lord)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Ṛ

ṛtvij (officiating priests)

Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

dīkṣā (consecration/initiation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate rule is not merely political victory; it must be ritually and ethically regulated. The king submits to prescribed discipline (vidhi) through dīkṣā, signaling accountability to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the proper time for consecration, the eminent priests formally initiate King Yudhiṣṭhira for the Aśvamedha sacrifice, marking the beginning of the rite’s regulated sequence.