Shloka 19
अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha
Completion of the Aśvamedha
ते तु खिन्ना विवादेन ऋषयस्तत्त्वदर्शिन:
te tu khinnā vivādena ṛṣayas tattvadarśinaḥ | bharatanandana! te tattvadarśī ṛṣayaḥ yadā asmin vivāde bahu khinnā abhavan, tadā indreṇa saha mantrayitvā etasmin viṣaye rājānam uparicaraṃ vasuṃ papracchuḥ— “mahāmati! vayaṃ dharmaviṣaye saṃśaye patitāḥ smaḥ; bhavān asmān satyaṃ vaktuṃ arhati.”
毗舍波耶那说：那些洞见实相的仙人因争论而疲惫不堪。于是他们与因陀罗商议之后，前往优波利遮罗·婆苏王处询问此事：“大慧之君，我们于正法之事陷入疑惑。请告知我们何者才是真正正确。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When even learned sages become entangled in disagreement about dharma, they seek clarification through counsel and by approaching a trusted authority. The verse highlights humility in ethical inquiry and the importance of truthful guidance.
A group of truth-seeing sages, exhausted by a dispute, consult Indra and then question King Uparicara Vasu to resolve their uncertainty about what dharma requires in the matter under debate.