Shloka 1
Rājagṛhe Magadheśvarasya yuddhāhvānam — Arjunena saṃyamaḥ
The Rājagṛha Challenge and Arjuna’s Restraint
अफ्--णक+ ग्रय्शीतितमो<ध्याय: दक्षिण और पश्चिम समुद्रके तटवर्ती देशोंमें होते हुए अश्वका द्वारका
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—māgadhenārcito rājan pāṇḍavaḥ śvetavāhanaḥ | dakṣiṇāṃ diśam āsthāya cārayām āsa taṃ hayam ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：大王阇那美阇耶啊，般度之子阿周那——白马驾车者（Śvetavāhana）——既受摩揭陀王礼敬，便取道南方，开始引领阿湿婆梅陀（Aśvamedha）祭马按仪轨游行。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate rule is affirmed through dharmic means: public honor, ritual restraint, and orderly procedure. The Aśvamedha’s roaming horse symbolizes sovereignty, but it is framed as a lawful, socially recognized act rather than mere aggression.
After being received and honored in Magadha, Arjuna (Śvetavāhana) begins the next phase of the Aśvamedha by taking the sacrificial horse southward, letting it roam as part of the rite that tests and proclaims the emperor’s authority.