Shloka 12
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
तस्य पार्थ: शिरस्त्राणमर्धचन्द्रेण पत्रिणा । अपाहरदमेयात्मा जयद्रथशिरो यथा
tasya pārthaḥ śirastrāṇam ardhacandreṇa patriṇā | apāharad ameyātmā jayadrathaśiro yathā ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Pagkaraan, si Pārtha (Arjuna), na ang diwa at lakas ay di masukat, ay pinutol ang helmet ng kalaban sa pamamagitan ng palasong may balahibo at hugis kalahating buwan—gaya ng minsang pagputol niya sa ulo ni 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.