Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाश्ष महीपाल बहवो वेदपारगा:,महाराज! प्रजानाथ! उनके सिवा और भी बहुत-से वेदोंमें पारंगत ब्राह्मणों और क्षत्रियोंने धर्मराजकी आज्ञासे विधिपूर्वक महात्मा अर्जुनका अनुसरण किया

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: brāhmaṇāś ca mahīpāla bahavo vedapāragāḥ, mahārāja prajānātha; teṣāṃ śeṣāś ca bahavo vedapāraga-brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyāś ca dharmarājasyājñayā vidhipūrvakaṃ mahātmānam arjunam anvayuḥ.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, many Brāhmaṇas who had mastered the Vedas followed along. O great king, protector of the people, besides them many other Brāhmaṇas and Kṣatriyas, deeply learned in the Vedas, also accompanied the great-souled Arjuna—doing so in due ritual order and in obedience to Dharmarāja’s command.”

Word by Word

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins

महीपालO king (protector of the earth)

बहवःmany

वेदपारगाःversed in the Vedas

महाराजO great king

प्रजानाथO lord of the subjects

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Brāhmaṇas

Kṣatriyas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined obedience to righteous authority (Dharmarāja) and the ethical ideal that major royal undertakings—especially sacrificial rites—should be supported by learned and properly qualified participants acting according to prescribed procedure (vidhi).

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Ashvamedha context, Arjuna proceeds as the chief follower/guardian, and many Veda-versed Brāhmaṇas along with Kṣatriyas accompany him, formally and ritually, because Yudhiṣṭhira has ordered it.