Text 14]
King Pṛthu's One Hundred Horse Sacrifices
741
TEXT 13
अत्रिणा चोदितो हन्तुं पृथुपुत्रो महारथः । अन्वभावत संकुद्धस्तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ॥१३॥
atriṇā codito hantum pṛthu-putro mahā-rathaḥ anvadhāvata saṅkruddhas tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt
atriṇā—by the great sage Atri; coditaḥ—being encouraged; hantum—to kill; pṛthu-putraḥ—the son of King Pṛthu; mahā-rathaḥ—a great hero; anvadhāvata—followed; saṅkruddhaḥ—being very angry; tiṣṭha tiṣṭha—just wait, just wait; iti—thus; ca—also; abravīt—he said.
TRANSLATION
When the son of King Pṛthu was informed by Atri of King Indra's trick, he immediately became very angry and followed Indra to kill him, calling, "Wait! Wait!"
PURPORT
The words  tiṣṭha tiṣṭha  are used by a  kṣatriya  when he challenges his enemy. When fighting, a  kṣatriya  cannot flee from the battlefield. However, when a  kṣatriya  out of cowardice flees from the battlefield, showing his back to his enemy, he is challenged with the words  tiṣṭha tiṣṭha . A real  kṣatriya  does not kill his enemy from behind, nor does a real  kṣatriya  turn his back on the battlefield. According to  kṣatriya  principle and spirit, one either attains victory or dies in the battlefield. Although King Indra was very exalted, being the King of heaven, he became degraded due to his stealing the horse intended for sacrifice. Therefore he fled without observing the  kṣatriya  principles, and the son of Pṛthu had to challenge him with the words  tiṣṭha tiṣṭha .
TEXT 14
तं तादृशाकृतिं वीक्ष्य मेने धर्मं शरीरिणम् । जटिलं मसनाच्छक्षं तस्मै वाणं न मुञ्चति ॥१४॥
tam tādṛśākṛtim vīkṣya mene dharmam śarīriṇam