Shloka 9
Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure
आगमद् द्वारकावासी ममाप्त: पुरुषो नूप । योउद्राक्षीत् पाण्डवश्रेष्ठं बहुसंग्रामकर्षितम्,“राजन! मेरे पास द्वारकाका रहनेवाला एक विश्वासपात्र मनुष्य आया था। उसने पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ अर्जुनको अपनी आँखों देखा था। वे अनेक स्थानोंपर युद्ध करनेके कारण बहुत दुर्बल हो गये हैं
āgamad dvārakāvāsī mamāptaḥ puruṣo nṛpa | yo ’drākṣīt pāṇḍavaśreṣṭhaṃ bahusaṅgrāmakarśitam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, a trustworthy man of mine, a resident of Dvārakā, came to me. He had seen with his own eyes the best of the Pāṇḍavas—Arjuna—worn down and weakened by the strain of many battles.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the greatest heroes are subject to exhaustion and decline; the epic underscores the ethical cost of prolonged warfare and the need for sober reflection after conflict.
Vaiśampāyana reports to the king that a trusted man from Dvārakā has arrived and personally witnessed Arjuna in a weakened state, worn down by many battles—setting up subsequent developments in the Ashvamedhika narrative.