Shloka 26

Traigarta Attempt to Seize the Aśvamedha Horse; Arjuna’s Restraint and Tactical Victory

Devanagari script

आर्याश्न पृथिवीपाला: प्रहृष्टनरवाहना: । समीयु: पाण्डुपुत्रेण बहवो युद्धदुर्मदा:

Transliteration

āryāś ca pṛthivīpālāḥ prahṛṣṭa-nara-vāhanāḥ | samīyuḥ pāṇḍu-putreṇa bahavo yuddha-durmadāḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Многие благородные владыки земли — в приподнятом духе, со своими людьми и конями — сошлись к сыну Панду; гордые, опьянённые жаром войны.»

Word by Word

• आर्याः: noble, honorable
• आर्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पृथिवीपालाः: kings (protectors of the earth)
• पृथिवीपालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रहृष्टनरवाहनाः: whose men/warriors and mounts were delighted (exultant with their retinues/vehicles)
• प्रहृष्टनरवाहनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रहृष्ट-नर-वाहन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समीयुः: came together, assembled
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डुपुत्रेण: with/by the son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुपुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युद्धदुर्मदाः: arrogant/maddened in battle
• युद्धदुर्मदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्ध-दुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍuputra (a Pāṇḍava; contextually Yudhiṣṭhira)
• pṛthivīpālāḥ (kings/rulers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even ‘noble’ rulers can be swept up by the exhilaration of power and war; therefore leadership must restrain martial pride and align collective strength with dharma (right order and responsible kingship) rather than reckless aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes many kings gathering together with the Pāṇḍu’s son in a charged, warlike mood—suggesting a large royal assembly or coalition forming around the Pāṇḍava in the Aśvamedhika Parva context.