Shloka 18
अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha
Completion of the Aśvamedha
तेषां विवाद: सुमहान् शक्रयज्ञे तपस्विनाम्
teṣāṃ vivādaḥ sumahān śakrayajñe tapasvinām
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Among those ascetics, a very great dispute arose at the sacrifice of Śakra (Indra)—a scene that underscores how even the learned and self-controlled can be drawn into contention when questions of ritual precedence, merit, and right conduct are at stake.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical caution: spiritual attainment and ritual expertise do not automatically prevent conflict. Dharma requires humility and restraint, especially in contexts—like sacrifice and public religious acts—where status, precedence, and claims of merit can provoke rivalry.
The narrator reports that a major dispute breaks out among a group of ascetics during an Indra-related sacrificial occasion. This sets the stage for the ensuing account explaining the cause of their contention and its implications for right conduct.