सो ऽयं तप्यति तेजस्वी तपो घोरं दुरासदम् ॥
समन्तपञ्चकाद् अस्माद् बहिर् वानरकेतन ॥
तस्माज् जयद्रथस्य त्वं शिरश् छित्त्वा महामृधे ॥
दिव्येनास्त्रेण रिपुहन् घोरेणाद्भुतकर्मणा ॥
सकुण्डलं सिन्धुपतेः प्रभञ्जनसुतानुज ॥
उत्सङ्गे पातयस्वाशु वृद्धक्षत्रस्य भारत ॥
so 'yaṃ tapyati tejasvī tapo ghoraṃ durāsadam ||
samantapañcakād asmād bahir vānaraketana ||
tasmāj jayadrathasya tvaṃ śiraś chittvā mahāmṛdhe ||
divyenāstreṇa ripuhan ghoreṇādbhutakarmaṇā ||
sakuṇḍalaṃ sindhupateḥ prabhañjanasutānuja ||
utsaṅge pātayasvāśu vṛddhakṣatrasya bhārata ||
'He, the radiant one, now practices dread, unconquerable austerity outside this Samantapanchaka, O monkey-bannered one [Arjuna]. Therefore you, having cut off in the great battle the head of Jayadratha with a divine weapon, O destroyer of foes, dread and wonder-working — [the head], with its earrings, of the Sindhu lord, O younger brother of the son of the Wind [Bhima], let fall quickly into the lap of Vriddhakshatra, O Bharata.'
a4ffd5b786a1 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:37 PM UTC
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Krishna points out a subtle way: the head must not be dropped to the ground but carried into the father's lap — so that the curse will not fall on Arjuna. It is telling that fulfilling the vow without disaster requires a divine weapon and a precise design. The verse teaches that a righteous goal must be reached not by force alone but by wisdom too; and where the direct path threatens ruin, guidance from above points out a roundabout way that saves both the deed and the doer.