Shloka 12
Bhīṣma’s Stuti of Keśava and Counsel on Nara–Nārāyaṇa (भीष्म-स्तवः; नरनारायण-प्रसङ्गः)
ततो यथादेशमुपेत्य तस्थु: पाज्चालमुख्या: सह चेदिमुख्यै: । ततः समादेशसमाहतानि भेरीसहस्राणि विनेदुराजी
tato yathādeśam upetya tasthuḥ pāñcālamukhyāḥ saha cedimukhyaiḥ | tataḥ samādeśasamāhatāni bherīsahasrāṇi vinedur ājau ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann begaben sich die führenden Krieger der Pāñcālas gemäß dem Befehl an ihre zugewiesenen Plätze und standen fest zusammen mit den vornehmsten Helden von Cedi. Daraufhin erschallten auf dem Schlachtfeld, auf das Zeichen des Befehlshabers, tausendfache Kriegstrommeln—im Gleichklang geschlagen—und verkündeten sogleich den geordneten Beginn des Angriffs und den gemeinsamen Entschluss zu kämpfen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined adherence to command and coordinated action in a righteous war context: warriors take their proper stations and the unified drumbeat signals an ordered, collective commitment rather than chaotic violence.
Sañjaya reports that the leading Pāñcāla and Cedi fighters move to their assigned places; then, at the commander’s coordinated signal, thousands of war-drums are struck together, announcing the commencement and organization of battle.