Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 12: Preparation for the Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.12.14

गुरूणां वचनाच्छीघ्रं सम्भारास्सम्भ्रियन्तु मे।
समर्थाधिष्ठितश्चाश्वस्सोपाध्यायो विमुच्यताम्॥

gurūṇāṁ vacanāc chīghraṁ sambhārās sambhriyantu me
samarthādhiṣṭhitaś
cāśvas sopādhyāyo vimucyatām

gurūṇām = gurus; vacanāt = in accordance with the instructions; śīghram = quickly; sambhārāḥ = the sacrificial ingredients; sambhriyantu = arrange for; me = of my; samartha-adhiṣṭhitaḥ ca = protected by capable men; aśvaḥ = the horse; sa-upādhyāyaḥ = as well as the priest; vimucyatām = release.

In accordance with the instructions of my gurus, quickly arrange for the sacrificial ingredients. Release the horse protected by capable men as well as the priests.

The sacrificial ingredients in this connection pertain to the release of the sacrificial horse. The horse is meant to be protected by four hundred persons [4]. The priests in this connection are the four sacrificial priests [5].

[4] catuḥśatā rakṣanti (Śruti).

[5] catvāra ṛtvijaḥ samukṣanti […] śatena rāja-putraiḥ saha adhvaryuḥ śatenārājabhir ugraiḥ saha-brahmā śatena sūta-grāmaṇībhiḥ saha-hotā śatena kṣatra-saṅgrahītṛbhiḥ sahodgātā (Śruti). sannāhavantaḥ kṣiti-pāla-putrāḥ sannaddha-sūtāḥ śatam asya tulyāḥ / gopāyitāraḥ śatam evam ugrāḥ sannāhinas tādṛśa-sūnu-yuktāḥ / vaiśyāḥ śataṁ prāntacarāḥ pathi syur varūthinas taiḥ śatam eva śūdrāḥ (Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara).