Shloka 9
Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure
आगमद् द्वारकावासी ममाप्त: पुरुषो नूप । योउद्राक्षीत् पाण्डवश्रेष्ठं बहुसंग्रामकर्षितम्
āgamad dvārakāvāsī mamāptaḥ puruṣo nṛpa | yo ’drākṣīt pāṇḍavaśreṣṭhaṃ bahusaṅgrāmakarśitam ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó rei, um homem de minha confiança, morador de Dvārakā, veio até mim. Ele vira com os próprios olhos o melhor dos Pāṇḍavas—Arjuna—consumido e enfraquecido pelo peso de muitas batalhas.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the greatest heroes are subject to exhaustion and decline; the epic underscores the ethical cost of prolonged warfare and the need for sober reflection after conflict.
Vaiśampāyana reports to the king that a trusted man from Dvārakā has arrived and personally witnessed Arjuna in a weakened state, worn down by many battles—setting up subsequent developments in the Ashvamedhika narrative.