Shloka 22
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
न मे प्रियं महाबाहो यत्ते बुद्धिरियं कृता । प्रतियोद्धुममित्रघ्न भ्रातैव त्वं ममानघ
na me priyaṃ mahābāho yat te buddhir iyaṃ kṛtā | pratiyoddhum amitraghna bhrātaiva tvaṃ mamānagha |
“O makapangyarihang may malalakas na bisig, hindi ko ikinalulugod na nabuo sa isip mo ang pasyang ito—na makipaglaban sa akin. O tagapagpuksa ng kaaway, o walang dungis, tunay kang parang kapatid ko.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a warrior context, intention matters: choosing to fight someone bound to you by brotherly regard is ethically troubling. The verse foregrounds restraint and the recognition of kinship as a moral limit within conflict.
The speaker voices displeasure at the other person’s decision to engage in combat against him, addressing the opponent with heroic epithets while reminding him of their fraternal bond (“you are like my brother”).