SanskritIASTMeaning
आश्वमेधिकं पर्व चतुर्दशम्āśvamedhikaṃ parva caturdaśamthe Ashvamedhika-parva, the fourteenth
संवर्त-मरुत्तीयं आख्यानम् अनुत्तमम्saṃvarta-maruttīyaṃ ākhyānam anuttamamthe excellent tale of Samvarta and Marutta
सुवर्ण-कोश-संप्राप्तिःsuvarṇa-kośa-saṃprāptiḥthe finding of the golden treasure
परिक्षितः जन्म दग्धस्य अस्त्र-अग्निना कृष्णात् संजीवनम्parikṣitaḥ janma dagdhasya astra-agninā kṛṣṇāt saṃjīvanamthe birth of Parikshit, who was burned by the fire of the weapon and revived by Krishna
चर्यायां हयम् उत्सृष्टं पाण्डवस्य अनुगच्छतःcaryāyāṃ hayam utsṛṣṭaṃ pāṇḍavasya anugacchataḥthe horse released to wander, followed by the Pandava (Arjuna)
तत्र तत्र युद्धानि राज-पुत्रैः अमर्षणैःtatra tatra yuddhāni rāja-putraiḥ amarṣaṇaiḥbattles here and there with wrathful princes
बभ्रुवाहनेन धनंजयः संशयं दर्शितःbabhruvāhanena dhanaṃjayaḥ saṃśayaṃ darśitaḥBabhruvahana placed Arjuna in mortal danger
चित्राङ्गदायाः पुत्रिकायाः पुत्रेणcitrāṅgadāyāḥ putrikāyāḥ putreṇaby the son of Chitrangada, the heiress-daughter
अश्वमेधे महायज्ञे नकुल-आख्यानम्aśvamedhe mahāyajñe nakula-ākhyānamat the great horse sacrifice, the tale of the mongoose
एतत् आश्वमेधिकं पर्व महाद्भुतम्etat āśvamedhikaṃ parva mahādbhutamsuch is the Ashvamedhika-parva, wondrous
अध्याय-शतं त्रिंशत् त्रयः च अध्यायाःadhyāya-śataṃ triṃśat trayaḥ ca adhyāyāḥone hundred thirty-three chapters
त्रीणि सहस्राणि त्रीणि शतानि विंशतिः श्लोकाःtrīṇi sahasrāṇi trīṇi śatāni viṃśatiḥ ślokāḥthree thousand three hundred twenty verses
ततोtatounderlying form «tato», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
ऽश्वमेधिकं'śvamedhikaṃunderlying form «'śvamedhikaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
नामnāmaunderlying form «nāma», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्रोक्तंproktaṃunderlying form «proktaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तत्tatunderlying form «tat», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संवर्तमरुत्तीयंsaṃvartamaruttīyaṃunderlying form «saṃvartamaruttīyaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
यत्राख्यानम्yatrākhyānamunderlying form «yatrākhyānam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
सुवर्णकोशसंप्राप्तिर्suvarṇakośasaṃprāptirunderlying form «suvarṇakośasaṃprāptir», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चोक्तंcoktaṃunderlying form «coktaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
दग्धस्यास्त्राग्निनाdagdhasyāstrāgnināunderlying form «dagdhasyāstrāgninā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पूर्वंpūrvaṃunderlying form «pūrvaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संजीवनंsaṃjīvanaṃunderlying form «saṃjīvanaṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पुनःpunaḥunderlying form «punaḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पाण्डवस्यानुगच्छतःpāṇḍavasyānugacchataḥunderlying form «pāṇḍavasyānugacchataḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
राजपुत्रैर्rājaputrairunderlying form «rājaputrair», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
पुत्रिकायाputrikāyāunderlying form «putrikāyā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संग्रामेsaṃgrāmeunderlying form «saṃgrāme», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
बभ्रुवाहेनbabhruvāhenaunderlying form «babhruvāhena», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चात्रcātraunderlying form «cātra», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
नकुलाख्यानम्nakulākhyānamunderlying form «nakulākhyānam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एवevaunderlying form «eva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
इत्य्ityunderlying form «ity», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
प्रोक्तम्proktamunderlying form «proktam», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एतन्etanunderlying form «etan», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
अत्राध्यायशतंatrādhyāyaśataṃunderlying form «atrādhyāyaśataṃ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
त्रयोtrayounderlying form «trayo», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
ऽध्यायाश्'dhyāyāśunderlying form «'dhyāyāś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
शब्दिताःśabditāḥunderlying form «śabditāḥ», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
श्लोकसहस्राणिślokasahasrāṇiunderlying form «ślokasahasrāṇi», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तावन्त्य्tāvantyunderlying form «tāvanty», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
एवevaunderlying form «eva», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
विंशतिश्viṃśatiśunderlying form «viṃśatiś», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
चcaunderlying form «ca», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तथाtathāunderlying form «tathā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
संख्यातास्saṃkhyātāsunderlying form «saṃkhyātās», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
तत्त्वदर्शिनाtattvadarśināunderlying form «tattvadarśinā», added to fully cover the word-by-word segment
The heart of the Ashvamedhika-parva is the rescue of Parikshit. Struck by Ashvatthaman's brahmastra while still in Uttara's womb, the infant is revived by the Lord Krishna Himself, who enters the womb — 'he whom Krishna protects is beyond harm even from an unfailing weapon.' Thus the Lord shows that He protects His devotees even in the mother's womb, and preserves the line from which the future hearer of the Bhagavatam will come. The tale of the mongoose with the golden flank teaches the highest truth about giving: a handful of barley flour offered by a poor man from a pure heart surpassed the lavish ashvamedha of a rich one — for the Lord looks not at the size of the gift but at the love and humility of the giver. And Arjuna's victory, won only after passing through an apparent death at his own son's hand, is a reminder of humility even for the greatest of warriors.