Shloka 23
Traigarta Attempt to Seize the Aśvamedha Horse; Arjuna’s Restraint and Tactical Victory
अवमृदनन् स राष्ट्राणि पार्थिवानां हयोत्तम: । शनैस्तदा परिययोौ श्वेताश्वक्ष महारथ:
avamṛdan sa rāṣṭrāṇi pārthivānāṁ hayottamaḥ | śanais tadā pariyayau śvetāśvakṣa mahārathaḥ ||
毗舍波耶那说道：“那匹上等骏马踏过诸多人间君王的国土，随后缓缓前行；而大车战士白马幢（Śvetāśvaketu）也随之同行。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ritual authority and political order intertwine: the Aśvamedha horse’s unhindered passage symbolizes acknowledged sovereignty, while the measured, gradual movement suggests controlled assertion of power rather than indiscriminate destruction—an ethic of rule constrained by dharma and custom.
During the Aśvamedha, the consecrated horse moves through the territories of various kings. As it proceeds, a great warrior—named Śvetāśvaketu here—travels with it, indicating the customary escort that protects the horse and confronts any ruler who challenges its passage.