Sutra 38
Devanagari script
पत्तयः पक्षयोरश्वाः पार्श्वयोः हस्तिनः पृष्ठतो रथाः पुरस्तात्परव्यूहवशेन वा विपर्यासः ॥ कZ_१०.५.३८ ॥
Transliteration
pattayaḥ pakṣayor aśvāḥ pārśvayoḥ hastinaḥ pṛṣṭhato rathāḥ purastāt paravyūhavaśena vā viparyāsaḥ
Translation
Place infantry on the wings, cavalry on the flanks, elephants to the sides, and chariots at the rear (or in front); or reverse the arrangement as required by the enemy’s formation.
Word by Word
पत्तयःinfantrymen, foot-soldiers
पत्तयः:
TypeNoun
Rootपत्ति
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन
पक्षयोःon the two wings (flanks)
पक्षयोः:
TypeNoun
Rootपक्ष
Formपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-द्विवचन (here: सप्तमी-द्विवचन, locative)
अश्वाःhorses; cavalry
अश्वाः:
TypeNoun
Rootअश्व
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन
पार्श्वयोःon the two sides
पार्श्वयोः:
TypeNoun
Rootपार्श्व
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-द्विवचन (here: सप्तमी-द्विवचन, locative)
हस्तिनःelephants; elephant troops
हस्तिनः:
TypeNoun
Rootहस्तिन्
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन
पृष्ठतःfrom/at the rear, behind
पृष्ठतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपृष्ठतः
Formअव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb)
रथाःchariots; chariot troops
रथाः:
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन
पुरस्तात्in front, at the fore
पुरस्तात्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरस्तात्
Formअव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (locative/ablatival adverbial)
परव्यूहवशेनaccording to the enemy’s array/formation
परव्यूहवशेन:
TypeNoun
Rootपरव्यूह-वश
Formपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन; परव्यूहस्य वशेन = परस्य व्यूहस्य (शत्रोर्व्यूहस्य) प्रभावेन/अनुसारतः
वाor
वा:
TypeParticle
Rootवा
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक
विपर्यासःreversal, inversion (of the arrangement)
विपर्यासः:
TypeNoun
Rootविपर्यास
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन
Entities Mentioned
I
infantry (patti)C
cavalry (aśva)E
elephants (hastin)C
chariots (ratha)E
enemy formation (para-vyūha)FAQs
Doctrine is conditional: the commander should reconfigure force placement based on the opponent’s array rather than follow a fixed template.