Shloka 12
ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins
त॑ तु हत्वा नरपतिं हैहयास्ते महारथा: । प्रतिजग्मु: पुरी रम्यां वत्सानामकुतो भया:,राजा हर्यश्वको मारकर वे महारथी हैहय-राजकुमार निर्भय हो वत्सवंशी राजाओंकी सुरम्य पुरीको लौट गये
taṁ tu hatvā narapatiṁ haihayās te mahārathāḥ | pratijagmuḥ purīṁ ramyāṁ vatsānām akuto-bhayāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Après avoir tué ce roi, ces puissants guerriers de char de la lignée des Haihaya, désormais sans crainte, regagnèrent la belle cité des rois de Vatsa.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the Mahabharata: martial success can restore safety and order for the victors, yet it is achieved through the destruction of a king whose role is to protect. It invites reflection on kshatriya-duty, the cost of political violence, and how fearlessness in power often rests on another’s downfall.
After killing a certain king, the Haihaya great warriors return, unafraid, to the splendid city associated with the Vatsa rulers. It is a brief report of the aftermath of a battle—death of the ruler and the victors’ homecoming.