Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 14: The Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.14.31
शामित्रे तु हयस्तत्र तथा जलचराश्च ये।
ऋत्विग्भिः सर्वमेवैतन्नियुक्तं शास्त्रतस्तदा॥
śāmitre tu hayas tatra tathā jala-carāś ca ye
ṛtvigbhiḥ sarvam evaitan niyuktaṁ śāstratas tadā
śāmitre tu = place of killing the animals; hayaḥ = the horse; tatra = at the; tathā = as well as; jala-carāḥ ca ye = the aquatics; ṛtvigbhiḥ = by the sacrificial priests; sarvam eva etat niyuktam = were bound up; śāstrataḥ tadā = in accordance with the scriptures.
At the place of killing the animals, the horse as well as the aquatics were bound up by the sacrificial priests in accordance with the scriptures.
[17] paryagnikṛtān āraṇyān utsṛjanty ahiṁsāyai. (Śruti)
Then, in accordance with the Śruti, the forest animals were circumambulated with a firebrand and released while the village animals are tied up [17]. Tu here indicates that animals other than the forest animals are being discussed here. “The horse” is the sacrificial horse. “The aquatics” refer to turtles and the like. All of them were bound up at the time of killing them.