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 ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：于是帕尔塔（阿周那）以不可测度的气魄与神力，发出一支带羽、如半月之箭，削落对手的头盔——正如他昔日斩落阇耶陀罗之首一般。
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.