Shloka 4
संरक्ष्यमाणं तुरगं यौधिष्ठिरमुपागतम् । यज्ञियं विषयान्ते मां नायौत्सी: कि नु पुत्रक,“पुत्र! मैं महाराज युधिष्ठिरके यज्ञ-सम्बन्धी अश्वकी रक्षा करता हुआ तेरे राज्यके भीतर आया हूँ। फिर भी तू मुझसे युद्ध क्यों नहीं करता?
saṃrakṣyamāṇaṃ turagaṃ yaudhiṣṭhiram upāgatam | yajñiyaṃ viṣayānte māṃ nāyautsīḥ ki nu putraka ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “While guarding the sacrificial horse of Yudhiṣṭhira, I have entered the border of your realm as part of the rite. Yet, my son, why do you not challenge me to battle?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-ethics within royal ritual: when a consecrated Aśvamedha horse enters a kingdom, the local ruler is expected to respond—either by accepting the overlord’s sovereignty or by challenging it through combat. The question underscores the tension between ritual authority and political autonomy, framed as a duty-bound test rather than personal hostility.
A speaker (addressing a ‘son’/young prince) states that he is escorting and protecting Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrificial horse and has entered the other’s territorial boundary. He then asks why the prince is not engaging him in battle—implying the customary Aśvamedha confrontation that determines submission or resistance.