Shloka 4
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
तेडविदूराद् धनुष्पाणिं यज्ञियस्थ हयस्य च । बीभत्सुं प्रत्यपद्यन्त पदातिनमवस्थितम्,यज्ञसम्बन्धी घोड़ेसे थोड़ी ही दूरपर अर्जुन हाथमें धनुष लिये पैदल ही खड़े थे। वे सभी क्षत्रिय उनके पास जा पहुँचे
Te dūrād dhanur-pāṇiṁ yajñiyasya hayasya ca | Bībhatsuṁ pratyapadyanta padātinam avasthitam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Dari jarak yang dekat mereka melihat Arjuna—mengerikan di medan perang—berdiri berjalan kaki dengan busur di tangan, berkawal dekat kuda korban itu. Lalu para kṣatriya itu pun mendekatinya. Adegan ini menegaskan batas moral Aśvamedha: kuda itu lambang ritual kedaulatan, dan menentang penjaganya menguji sama ada kuasa dikejar melalui cabaran yang sah atau melalui keganasan melulu terhadap upacara yang dibingkai oleh dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma at the intersection of ritual and power: the Aśvamedha horse represents lawful sovereignty, and approaching its guardian is not mere violence but a test of whether one engages in a sanctioned, honor-bound challenge rather than disrupting a sacred rite.
A group of kṣatriyas see Arjuna nearby, standing on foot with his bow, positioned by the sacrificial horse, and they come up to him—setting the stage for a confrontation connected to the Aśvamedha’s roaming horse.