Shloka 4
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
तेडविदूराद् धनुष्पाणिं यज्ञियस्थ हयस्य च । बीभत्सुं प्रत्यपद्यन्त पदातिनमवस्थितम्,यज्ञसम्बन्धी घोड़ेसे थोड़ी ही दूरपर अर्जुन हाथमें धनुष लिये पैदल ही खड़े थे। वे सभी क्षत्रिय उनके पास जा पहुँचे
Te dūrād dhanur-pāṇiṁ yajñiyasya hayasya ca | Bībhatsuṁ pratyapadyanta padātinam avasthitam ||
毗舍摩波罗耶那说：在不远处，他们看见阿周那——战场上令人胆寒者——徒步而立，手执弓矢，守在祭马旁。那些刹帝利随即向他逼近。此景昭示阿湿婆梅陀的道德界限：马是主权的仪式徽记，而挑战其守护者，正是在考验人们追逐权势，是循正当对决之道，还是以鲁莽侵暴去触犯由达摩所框定的圣礼。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma at the intersection of ritual and power: the Aśvamedha horse represents lawful sovereignty, and approaching its guardian is not mere violence but a test of whether one engages in a sanctioned, honor-bound challenge rather than disrupting a sacred rite.
A group of kṣatriyas see Arjuna nearby, standing on foot with his bow, positioned by the sacrificial horse, and they come up to him—setting the stage for a confrontation connected to the Aśvamedha’s roaming horse.