Ashvamedhika Parva — Section 1 of 2 in this original, condensed prose retelling of the eighteen-parva Mahabharata.
To reestablish a fragile political order, Yudhishthira performs the Ashvamedha ceremony. Arjuna accompanies the horse through different regions and meets challenges connected to past conflicts. The journeys test whether rule can be sustained without repeating the arrogance that caused war.
Read this episode in sequence with the other parvas to understand the full storyline, including its moral ambiguity and tragic consequences.