Shloka 263
पाण्डवपरिचयः—विराटसभायां प्रकाशनम्
Identification of the Pāṇḍavas in Virāṭa’s Court
दुर्योधनस्योत्तमरत्नचित्रं चिच्छेद पार्थो मुकुर्ट शरेण । फिर अअभश्रवत्थामा
duryodhanasyottamaratnacitraṃ ciccheda pārtho mukuṭaśareṇa |
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Arjuna (Pārtha) memutuskan mahkota Duryodhana yang gemilang, bertatahkan permata, dengan sebatang anak panah sahaja. Di tengah pertempuran, tindakan itu menjadi penghinaan yang tajam namun juga pameran penguasaan yang terukur—menegaskan keunggulan tanpa serta-merta meragut nyawa—lalu menonjolkan kemampuan seorang pahlawan menahan keganasan walaupun sedang menunaikan dharma kṣatriya di medan perang.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in righteous warfare, power is ideally governed by restraint: a warrior may demonstrate superiority and uphold duty without needless killing, using skill to check arrogance and signal moral and tactical dominance.
During the battle episode narrated by Vaiśampāyana, Arjuna shoots an arrow that slices off Duryodhana’s ornate, jewel-studded crown—an emphatic battlefield gesture of defeat and humiliation rather than an immediate lethal strike.