Shloka 11
Rājagṛhe Magadheśvarasya yuddhāhvānam — Arjunena saṃyamaḥ
The Rājagṛha Challenge and Arjuna’s Restraint
तत्रापि द्रविडैरान्ध्रै रौद्रैमाहिषकैरपि । तथा कोल्लगिरेयैश्न युद्धमासीत् किरीटिन:,वहाँ भी द्रविड, आन्ध्र, रौद्र, माहिषक और कोलाचलके प्रान्तोंमें रहनेवाले वीरोंके साथ किरीटधारी अर्जुनका खूब युद्ध हुआ
tatrāpi draviḍair āndhrai raudrair māhiṣakair api | tathā kollagireyaiś ca yuddham āsīt kirīṭinaḥ ||
ਉੱਥੇ ਵੀ ਦ੍ਰਾਵਿੜਾਂ, ਆਂਧ੍ਰਾਂ, ਰੌਦ੍ਰਾਂ, ਮਾਹਿਸ਼ਕਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਕੋੱਲਗਿਰੀ-ਪ੍ਰਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਵੀਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਕਿਰਿਟਧਾਰੀ ਅਰਜੁਨ ਦਾ ਘੋਰ ਯੁੱਧ ਹੋਇਆ।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic framework of kingship in the Ashvamedha: legitimate rule seeks acknowledgment to stabilize order; when groups resist, a kṣatriya like Arjuna must meet that challenge in battle, ideally aiming at re-establishing lawful harmony rather than personal gain.
During the Ashvamedha horse’s wanderings, Arjuna encounters resistance from multiple southern peoples—Draviḍas, Āndhras, Raudras, Māhiṣakas, and those of the Kollagiri/Kollācala region—and engages them in intense fighting.