Shloka 2
Rājagṛhe Magadheśvarasya yuddhāhvānam — Arjunena saṃyamaḥ
The Rājagṛha Challenge and Arjuna’s Restraint
ततः स पुनरावर्त्य हयः कामचरो बली । आससाद पुरी रम्यां चेदीनां शुक्तिसाह्वयाम्
tataḥ sa punarāvartya hayaḥ kāmacaro balī | āsasāda purī ramyāṃ cedīnāṃ śuktisāhvayām ||
随后，那匹强健的马随心所欲地游走，又折返而来，抵达了支提（Cedi）人的华美都城，名闻于世，号为“舒克提”（Śukti）。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Ashvamedha’s dharmic-political logic: the consecrated horse moves freely, and its unimpeded passage signifies acceptance of the sacrificer’s sovereignty; resistance would invite a righteous contest framed by duty and royal order.
The powerful, freely roaming sacrificial horse turns back and arrives at the Cedi realm’s beautiful city known as Śukti, marking the next stage of its sanctioned journey during the Ashvamedha.