Shloka 12
Sainyavinyāsa–Lakṣaṇa (Disposition of Armies and Battlefield Omens) | सैन्यविन्यास–लक्षणम्
वार्थक्षत्रि: सर्वसैन्यस्य मध्ये भूरिश्रवा: पुरुमित्रो जयश्न । शाल्चा मत्स्या: केकयाश्षेति सर्वे गजानीकैर्भ्रातरो योत्स्यमाना:,वृद्धक्षत्रका पुत्र जयद्रथ, भूरिश्रवा, पुरुमित्र, जय, शाल्व और मत्स्यदेशीय क्षत्रिय तथा सब भाई केकय-राजकुमार युद्धकी इच्छासे हाथियोंके समूहोंको साथ ले सम्पूर्ण सेनाके मध्यभागमें स्थित थे
sañjaya uvāca | vārthakṣatriḥ sarvasainyasya madhye bhūriśravāḥ purumitro jayaś ca | śālvā matsyāḥ kekayāś ceti sarve gajānīkair bhrātaro yotsyamānāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the very midst of the entire army stood Vārthakṣatri, along with Bhūriśravas, Purumitra, and Jaya; and also the Śālvas, the Matsyas, and all the Kekayas—brothers marshalled with divisions of elephants, eager to join battle. The scene underscores the deliberate organization of forces and the collective resolve of allied kṣatriyas as the war’s momentum gathers.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of organized readiness for battle and the collective resolve of allied lineages. Ethically, it frames war as a deliberate, duty-bound undertaking for those who have chosen the warrior path, emphasizing discipline and coordinated action rather than chaos.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the positioning of various allied warriors and peoples—Bhūriśravas, Purumitra, Jaya, and contingents from Śālva, Matsya, and Kekaya—standing in the center of the army with elephant divisions, prepared to fight.