Shloka 32
शकुनेः पुत्रेण सह आश्वमेधाश्वविषयः संघर्षः — Arjuna’s restrained engagement with Śakuni’s son during the horse-escort
स्थलजा जलजा ये च पशव: केचन प्रभो | सवनिव समानीतानपश्यंस्तत्र ते नृपा:,प्रभो! संसारके भीतर स्थल और जलमें उत्पन्न होनेवाले जो कोई पशु देखे या सुने गये थे, उन सबको वहाँ राजाओंने उपस्थित देखा
Vaiśampāyana uvāca | sthalajā jalajā ye ca paśavaḥ kecana prabho | savaniva samānītān apaśyaṃs tatra te nṛpāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó senhor, os reis ali viram reunidos—como se para um rito sacrificial—todos os tipos de animais, nascidos em terra ou na água, enfim quaisquer criaturas que no mundo se soubesse existir, vistas ou mesmo apenas ouvidas.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the vast, ordered gathering associated with royal sacrifice: a king’s rite is portrayed as encompassing the whole world’s creatures, suggesting sovereignty expressed through ritual order and responsibility rather than mere force.
During the Aśvamedha-related proceedings, the assembled kings witness an extraordinary collection of animals—land and water creatures—brought together at the ritual venue, emphasizing the scale and completeness of the ceremony.