Shloka 1
Rājagṛhe Magadheśvarasya yuddhāhvānam — Arjunena saṃyamaḥ
The Rājagṛha Challenge and Arjuna’s Restraint
अफ्--णक+ ग्रय्शीतितमो<ध्याय: दक्षिण और पश्चिम समुद्रके तटवर्ती देशोंमें होते हुए अश्वका द्वारका
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—māgadhenārcito rājan pāṇḍavaḥ śvetavāhanaḥ | dakṣiṇāṃ diśam āsthāya cārayām āsa taṃ hayam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Wahai Raja Janamejaya, Arjuna daripada kaum Pāṇḍava—yang keretanya ditarik oleh kuda-kuda putih—setelah dimuliakan oleh raja Magadha, berangkat menuju arah selatan dan mula menuntun kuda korban Aśvamedha itu mengembara menurut tata upacara.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rule is affirmed through dharmic means: public honor, ritual restraint, and orderly procedure. The Aśvamedha’s roaming horse symbolizes sovereignty, but it is framed as a lawful, socially recognized act rather than mere aggression.
After being received and honored in Magadha, Arjuna (Śvetavāhana) begins the next phase of the Aśvamedha by taking the sacrificial horse southward, letting it roam as part of the rite that tests and proclaims the emperor’s authority.