Shloka 10
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Kaurava-Aligned Mahārathas
Warrior Roster and Motivations
एवं विभज्य योधांस्तान् पृथक् च सह चैव ह । ज्वालावर्णो महेष्वासो द्रोणममंशमकल्पयत्
evaṁ vibhajya yodhāṁs tān pṛthak ca saha caiva ha | jvālāvarṇo maheṣvāso droṇam aṁśam akalpayat, dhṛṣṭadyumno maheṣvāsaḥ senāpatipatis tataḥ |
Sañjaya sprach: Nachdem er jene Krieger so zugeteilt hatte — einige einzeln, andere in vereinten Gruppen —, wies Dhṛṣṭadyumna, der große Bogenschütze, dessen Glanz einem lodernden Feuer glich, Droṇa seinem eigenen Anteil zu (als den Gegner, dem er sich stellen sollte). Danach stand der mächtige Bogenheld Dhṛṣṭadyumna als Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres da.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores accountable leadership in warfare: a commander must deliberately organize forces and personally accept the gravest challenge (here, facing Droṇa), rather than shifting the burden to others. It frames strategy as an ethical act—choosing, assigning, and owning consequences.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna divides the warriors into separate and combined units, then designates Droṇa as the opponent allotted to his own side to confront. After these arrangements, Dhṛṣṭadyumna is established as the army’s commander-in-chief.