Shloka 13

अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit

Devanagari script

त॑ दृष्टवा विस्मयं जम्मुर्गान्धारा: सर्व एव ते । इच्छता तेन न हतो राजेत्यसि च त॑ विदु:

Transliteration

taṁ dṛṣṭvā vismayaṁ jagmur gāndhārāḥ sarva eva te | icchatā tena na hato rājety asi ca taṁ viduḥ ||

Translation

Nang makita ito, namangha ang lahat ng mga Gandhāra. Naunawaan nilang hindi napatay ang hari hindi dahil hindi kaya ni Arjuna, kundi dahil sinadya niyang iligtas ang buhay nito.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (event/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जग्मुः: they went / they came to (a state)
• जग्मुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• गान्धाराः: the Gandhāras
• गान्धाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इच्छता: by (him) wishing / intentionally
• इच्छता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तेन: by him / by that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हतः: killed
• हतः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present (लट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तत्: that (fact)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: they knew / they understood
• विदुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāndhāras
• Gāndhāra-rāja (king of Gandhāra)
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights intentional restraint as a moral choice: sparing an enemy can be recognized as deliberate compassion and self-control, not weakness, aligning power with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Gandhāras witness that their king remains alive and are amazed; they conclude that Arjuna consciously chose not to kill him.