Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

अवमृदनन्‌ स राष्ट्राणि पार्थिवानां हयोत्तम: । शनैस्तदा परिययोौ श्वेताश्वक्ष महारथ:

Transliteration

avamṛdan sa rāṣṭrāṇi pārthivānāṁ hayottamaḥ | śanais tadā pariyayau śvetāśvakṣa mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The excellent horse, trampling through the kingdoms of various earthly rulers, then moved on gradually; and the great chariot-warrior Śvetāśvaketu proceeded along with it.

Word by Word

• अवमृदनन्: trampling down, crushing
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-मृद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद, वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रायः प्रयोगः; पाठे 'अवमृदनन्' इति रूपं छन्दो/पाठभेदजन्यं, अर्थतः 'अवमृदन्/अवमृदन्' (क्रियाविशेषणवत्) इव

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राष्ट्राणि: kingdoms, realms
• राष्ट्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पार्थिवानाम्: of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• हयोत्तमः: the best horse
• हयोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शनैः: slowly, gradually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय)
• Form: true

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: true

• परिययौ: went around, roamed
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण भूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्वेताश्वः: the white-horsed one (Arjuna)
• श्वेताश्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेताश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षः: (unclear; likely part of a corrupted reading)
• क्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्ष (प्रातिपदिक/पाठभेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन, पाठे 'श्वेताश्वक्ष' इति संयुक्तं दृश्यते; सामान्यतः 'श्वेताश्वः' इत्येव पर्याप्तम्, 'क्ष' अंशः सम्भवतः लेखन/पाठदोषः वा अन्यपाठः

• महारथः: great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• sacrificial horse (Aśvamedha horse)
• kings (pārthivāḥ)
• kingdoms (rāṣṭrāṇi)
• Śvetāśvaketu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ritual authority and political order intertwine: the Aśvamedha horse’s unhindered passage symbolizes acknowledged sovereignty, while the measured, gradual movement suggests controlled assertion of power rather than indiscriminate destruction—an ethic of rule constrained by dharma and custom.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Aśvamedha, the consecrated horse moves through the territories of various kings. As it proceeds, a great warrior—named Śvetāśvaketu here—travels with it, indicating the customary escort that protects the horse and confronts any ruler who challenges its passage.