Shloka 8
Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure
सतं पप्रच्छ कौन्तेय: पुनः पुनररिंदमम् धर्मज: शक्रजं जिष्णुं समाचष्ट जगत्पति:,यह सुनकर धर्मपुत्र कुन्तीकुमार युधिष्ठिरने शत्रुदमन इन्द्रकुमार अर्जुनके विषयमें बारम्बार उनसे पूछा। तब जगदीश्वर भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण उनसे इस प्रकार बोले--
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: taṁ papraccha Kaunteyaḥ punaḥ punar arindamam; dharmajaḥ Śakrajaṁ jiṣṇuṁ samācaṣṭa jagatpatiḥ.
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the son of Kuntī, Dharmaja (Yudhiṣṭhira), repeatedly questioned the foe-subduing one about Jiṣṇu (Arjuna), the son of Śakra (Indra). Thereupon the Lord of the world (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) explained the matter to him. The passage highlights Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharmic concern and insistence on clarity, and Kṛṣṇa’s role as the guiding authority who resolves moral and narrative uncertainty.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Persistent, sincere questioning in pursuit of dharma is portrayed as virtuous, and proper resolution comes from an authoritative, wise guide—here Kṛṣṇa—who clarifies doubts and sets the ethical frame for understanding events.
Yudhiṣṭhira repeatedly asks about Arjuna (described by epithets such as ‘Indra’s son’ and ‘victorious’). In response, Kṛṣṇa, called ‘Lord of the world,’ begins to explain the matter to him, moving the story forward through dialogue.