Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 126
Rājagṛhe Magadheśvarasya yuddhāhvānam — Arjunena saṃyamaḥ
The Rājagṛha Challenge and Arjuna’s Restraint
गोकर्णमथ चासाद्य प्रभासमपि जग्मिवान् | उन सबको मृदुल पराक्रमसे ही जीतकर वे घोड़ेकी इच्छानुसार उसके पीछे चलनेमें विवश हुए सौराष्ट्र, गोकर्ण और प्रभासक्षेत्रोंमें गये
gokarṇam atha cāsādya prabhāsam api jagmivān |
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ເມື່ອໄປຮອດ ໂກກັນນະ (Gokarṇa) ແລ້ວ ລາວກໍໄດ້ໄປຕໍ່ຍັງ ປຣະພາສະ (Prabhāsa) ອີກ. ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ຕໍ່ຕ້ານ ກໍຖືກປະຫານລົງດ້ວຍພະລັງອັນອ່ອນໂຍນແຕ່ແຂງກ້າມີຜົນ; ແລະເນື່ອງຈາກຕ້ອງຕິດຕາມມ້າຕາມໃຈມັນ—ດັ່ງພິທີ ອາສວະເມທະ (Aśvamedha) ກໍານົດ—ພວກເຂົາຈຶ່ງເດີນທາງຜ່ານ ເສົາຣາສະຕຣະ (Saurāṣṭra), ໂກກັນນະ ແລະ ທົ່ງສັກສິດແຫ່ງ ປຣະພາສະ.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal power is to be exercised within dharma: even when asserting sovereignty through the Aśvamedha, the narrative highlights controlled, non-cruel prowess and adherence to ritual order—following the horse’s course rather than mere conquest for its own sake.
The Aśvamedha horse continues its sanctioned wanderings. The accompanying party proceeds through Saurāṣṭra and reaches major tīrthas—Gokarṇa and Prabhāsa—subduing resistance with measured force and then moving on in obedience to the horse’s chosen path.