Shloka 29
अर्जुन–उलूपीसंवादः
Arjuna and Ulūpī: Explanation of Śānti and the Maṇipūra Resolution
ततो यथेष्टमगमत् पुनरेव स केसरी । ततः समुद्रतीरेण वज्भान् पुण्ड्रानू सकोसलान्,तदनन्तर वह घोड़ा पुनः अपनी इच्छाके अनुसार आगे चला। वह समुद्रके किनारे- किनारे होता हुआ वड़, पुण्ड्र और कोसल आदि देशोंमें गया
tato yatheṣṭam agamat punar eva sa kesarī | tataḥ samudratīreṇa vaṅgān puṇḍrānū sa-kośalān |
Vaiśampāyana said: Then that lion-like one moved on again as he pleased. Thereafter, keeping to the seashore, he proceeded through the lands of Vaṅga and Puṇḍra, and also through Kośala and other regions—continuing the onward course of the sacrificial horse’s campaign, which tests submission to righteous sovereignty rather than mere conquest.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores orderly kingship aligned with dharma: the Ashvamedha’s progress is not random violence but a ritualized assertion of legitimate rule, where regions are approached in a structured campaign that invites acknowledgment of righteous sovereignty.
The lion-like leader continues onward at will, traveling along the seacoast and passing through eastern regions such as Vaṅga and Puṇḍra, and also Kośala—marking the continued movement of the Ashvamedha expedition as it ranges across various lands.