Shloka 13
सैन्यसंनिवेशः (Sainyasaṃniveśaḥ) — Deployment, Omens, and Yuddha-Dharma Conventions
दृष्टवा ध्वजाग्र पार्थस्य धार्तराष्ट्री महामना: । सह सर्वर्महीपालै: प्रत्यव्यूहत पाण्डवम्
dṛṣṭvā dhvajāgraṃ pārthasya dhārtarāṣṭrī mahāmanāḥ | saha sarvair mahīpālaiḥ pratyavyūhata pāṇḍavam ||
Seeing the foremost part of Arjuna’s banner, the high-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with all the allied kings, drew up a counter-formation against the Pāṇḍava host—signaling the deliberate resolve to meet the righteous claim of the Pāṇḍavas with organized force on the battlefield.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how perception of a symbol (Arjuna’s banner) triggers decisive action: leaders marshal allies and strategy. Ethically, it frames the war as a conscious, organized choice—where kṣatriya duty and ambition intersect, and responsibility lies with those who deliberately escalate conflict.
As the armies face each other at Kurukṣetra, Duryodhana notices Arjuna’s banner at the front of the Pāṇḍava side and, along with the allied kings, arranges his forces in a counter-battle formation against the Pāṇḍava army.