Shloka 6
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
ते वध्यमाना: पार्थेन हयमुत्सृज्य सम्भ्रमात्
te vadhyamānāḥ pārthena hayam utsṛjya sambhramāt
Vaiśampāyana said: Struck down by Pārtha (Arjuna), they—overcome by panic—abandoned the horse and fled in confusion. The scene underscores how fear and disorder arise when aggression meets rightful resistance, and how the sacrificial horse becomes the focal symbol of sovereignty that challengers fail to seize.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When power is exercised in defense of rightful order (dharma), those driven by challenge or greed often collapse into fear and confusion; the verse highlights the moral and political weight carried by the Aśvamedha horse as a symbol of legitimate sovereignty.
As Arjuna attacks and overpowers the opposing group, they panic and abandon the sacrificial horse, retreating in disorder—showing Arjuna’s successful protection of the Aśvamedha procession.