Shloka 23
Traigarta Attempt to Seize the Aśvamedha Horse; Arjuna’s Restraint and Tactical Victory
अवमृदनन् स राष्ट्राणि पार्थिवानां हयोत्तम: । शनैस्तदा परिययोौ श्वेताश्वक्ष महारथ:
avamṛdan sa rāṣṭrāṇi pārthivānāṁ hayottamaḥ | śanais tadā pariyayau śvetāśvakṣa mahārathaḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「その最上の馬は、諸王の国々を踏み越えながら、やがてゆるやかに進んでいった。そして大車戦士シュヴェーターシュヴァケートゥもまた、それに伴って進んだ。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ritual authority and political order intertwine: the Aśvamedha horse’s unhindered passage symbolizes acknowledged sovereignty, while the measured, gradual movement suggests controlled assertion of power rather than indiscriminate destruction—an ethic of rule constrained by dharma and custom.
During the Aśvamedha, the consecrated horse moves through the territories of various kings. As it proceeds, a great warrior—named Śvetāśvaketu here—travels with it, indicating the customary escort that protects the horse and confronts any ruler who challenges its passage.