Shloka 17
Adhyāya 78 — Bhīṣma’s Advance, Duryodhana’s Rally, and Concurrent Duels (भीष्मस्याभ्युद्यमः, दुर्योधनस्योत्साहवचनम्, विविधयुद्धवर्णनम्)
कृतवर्मा तु सहित: काम्बोजवरबाद्निकै: । शिरस्यासीन्नरश्रेष्ठ: श्रेष्ठ: सर्वधनुष्मताम्,काम्बोज और बाह्लिकदेशके उत्तम सैनिकोंके साथ समस्त थधनुर्धरोंमें श्रेष्ठ नरप्रवर कृतवर्मा व्यूहके शिरोभागमें स्थित हुए
kṛtavarmā tu sahitaḥ kāmbojavarabāhlikaiḥ | śirasy āsīn naraśreṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanuṣmatām ||
কাম্বোজ ও বাহ্লিক দেশের শ্রেষ্ঠ যোদ্ধাদের সঙ্গে কৃতবর্মা—সমস্ত ধনুর্ধরের মধ্যে শ্রেষ্ঠ সেই নরশ্রেষ্ঠ—ব্যূহের শিরোভাগে অবস্থান করলেন।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is prosecuted through disciplined organization and the placement of capable leaders; it implicitly contrasts martial excellence and strategic order with the grave ethical weight of deploying such power in a fratricidal conflict.
Sañjaya reports the Kaurava battle-array arrangement: Kṛtavarmā, supported by elite Kāmboja and Bāhlīka fighters, is stationed at the very front/head of the formation as a leading archer and commander.