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 nói: “Giết vị vua ấy xong, những chiến xa dũng tướng của dòng Haihaya, nay không còn sợ hãi, đã trở về thành đô mỹ lệ của các vua 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.