Shloka 14
आगम्य पितुराचख्युरदृश्यं तुरगं हृतम् । तेनोक्ता दिक्षु सर्वासु सर्वे मार्गत वाजिनम्,(ससमुद्रवनद्वीपां विचरन्तो वसुन्धराम् ।) राजन्! उनका यज्ञिय अश्व उनके अत्यन्त उत्साही सभी पुत्रोंद्वारा सुरक्षित हो स्वच्छन्दगतिसे पृथ्वीपर विचरने लगा। जब वह अश्व भयंकर दिखायी देनेवाले जलशून्य समुद्रके तटपर आया, तब प्रयत्नपूर्वक रक्षित होनेपर भी वहाँ सहसा अदृश्य हो गया। तात! तब उस उत्तम अश्वको अपहृत जानकर सगरपुत्रोंने पिताके पास आकर कहा--/हमारे यज्ञिय अश्वको किसीने चुरा लिया, अब वह दिखायी नहीं देता।/ यह सुनकर राजा सगरने कहा--“तुम सब लोग समुद्र, वन और द्वीपोंसहित सारी पृथ्वीपर विचरते हुए सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें जाकर उस अश्वका पता लगाओ”
āgamya pitur ācakhyur adṛśyaṃ turagaṃ hṛtam | tenoktā dikṣu sarvāsu sarve mārgata vājinaṃ || (sa-samudra-vana-dvīpāṃ vicaranto vasundharām) ||
Returning to their father, the sons reported that the sacrificial horse had been stolen and had vanished from sight. Hearing this, King Sagara commanded them to search for the horse in every direction, roaming the entire earth—together with its seas, forests, and islands. The episode underscores a ruler’s duty to protect the integrity of sacred rites and the responsibility of heirs to act with vigilance and perseverance when a public, dharmic undertaking is threatened.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharmic undertakings—especially public rites tied to royal responsibility—must be protected with alertness and sustained effort; when disruption occurs, one should respond decisively, lawfully, and with perseverance rather than negligence.
Sagara’s sons return and inform their father that the sacrificial horse has been stolen and has become invisible; King Sagara orders them to scour all directions, traversing the whole earth with its seas, forests, and islands, to find it.