Shloka 14
Aśvamedha-dīkṣā, Vyāsa’s horse-release, and Arjuna’s departure with Gāṇḍīva (आश्वमेधिक-दीक्षा तथा हय-उत्सर्गः)
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त: स तु राजेन्द्र कृष्णद्वैपायनो5ब्रवीत् । भीमसेनादवरज: श्रेष्ठ: सर्वधनुष्मताम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ity uktaḥ sa tu rājendra kṛṣṇadvaipāyano ’bravīt | bhīmasenād avarajaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarva-dhanuṣmatām |
Vaiśampāyana nói: Khi nghe lời ấy, hỡi bậc vương giả tối thượng, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) đáp: “Tâu đại vương, Arjuna—người em của Bhīmasena—là bậc đệ nhất trong hàng những kẻ sử cung.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Competence joined with self-control is essential for fulfilling royal and ritual duty: the king should entrust critical responsibilities—like safeguarding the Aśvamedha horse—to the most qualified and steady person, so dharma is protected through disciplined action.
After Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry, Vyāsa responds (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) by identifying Arjuna—Bhīma’s younger brother—as the foremost archer, implying he is the proper guardian for the sacrificial horse during the Aśvamedha.