Shloka 12
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
तस्य पार्थ: शिरस्त्राणमर्धचन्द्रेण पत्रिणा । अपाहरदमेयात्मा जयद्रथशिरो यथा,तब अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न अर्जुनने जिस प्रकार जयद्रथका सिर उड़ाया था, उसी प्रकार शकुनि-पुत्रके शिरस्त्राणः (टोप)-को एक अर्धचन्द्राकार बाणसे काट गिराया
tasya pārthaḥ śirastrāṇam ardhacandreṇa patriṇā | apāharad ameyātmā jayadrathaśiro yathā ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Lalu Pārtha (Arjuna), yang semangat dan kekuatannya tiada terukur, menetak jatuh topi besi lawannya dengan sebatang anak panah berbulu berbentuk bulan sabit—sebagaimana dahulu dia pernah memenggal kepala Jayadratha.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial conduct: true strength is measured not by indiscriminate violence but by controlled, precise action aligned with a warrior’s duty, and by accountability to past vows and moral commitments.
Arjuna uses a crescent-shaped, feathered arrow to slice off the opponent’s helmet, and the narrator compares this feat to Arjuna’s earlier, famed beheading of Jayadratha—emphasizing Arjuna’s exceptional skill and the continuity of his battlefield resolve.