Shloka 17
Ulūpī–Citravāhinī Saṃvāda: Dhanaṃjaya-patana and Prāya-threat
ततो<भ्येत्य हयं वीरो यज्ञियं पार्थरक्षितम् ग्राहयामास पुरुषैर्ठयशिक्षाविशारदै:,पार्थद्वारा सुरक्षित उस यज्ञसम्बन्धी अश्वके पास जाकर उस वीरने अश्वशिक्षाविशारद पुरुषोंद्वारा उसे पकड़वा लिया
tato 'bhyetya hayaṃ vīro yajñiyaṃ pārtharakṣitam | grāhayāmāsa puruṣair aśvaśikṣāviśāradaiḥ ||
ततोऽभ्येत्य हयं वीरो यज्ञियं पार्थरक्षितम् । ग्राहयामास पुरुषैरश्वशिक्षाविशारदैः ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between royal ritual authority (the Aśvamedha horse as a symbol of sovereignty) and acts that contest it. Seizing the sacrificial horse is not merely physical capture; it is a deliberate challenge to the rite’s legitimacy and the king’s dharmic claim to rule, inviting a response that tests restraint, justice, and rightful conduct.
A valiant figure comes up to the Aśvamedha horse that is under Arjuna’s protection and orders expert horse-handlers to seize it. This escalates the episode into a confrontation centered on the sacrificial horse, a key emblem of the ongoing royal rite.