Shloka 48
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
अनूपका: किराताश्ष ग्रीवायां भरतर्षभ । राजन्! अपनी विशाल सेनाके साथ राजा द्रुपद उस व्यूहके सिरके स्थानपर थे। कुन्तिभोज और धृष्टकेतु--ये दोनों नरेश नेत्रोंके स्थानपर प्रतिष्ठित हुए। भरतश्रेष्ठ! दाशार्णक, दाशेरकसमूहोंके साथ प्रभद्रक, अनूपक और किरातगण गर्दनके स्थानमें खड़े किये गये || ४६-४७ ह ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
anūpakāḥ kirātāś ca grīvāyāṃ bharatarṣabha |
rājan apnī viśālā senāke sātha rājā drupadaḥ tasya vyūhasya śirasi-sthāne 'bhavat |
kuntibhojaś ca dhṛṣṭaketuś ca—etau ubhau nṛpatau netra-sthāne pratiṣṭhitau |
bharataśreṣṭha dāśārṇakāḥ dāśeraka-samūhaiḥ saha prabhadrakā anūpakāś ca kirāta-gaṇāś ca kaṇṭha-sthāne sthāpitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O bull of the Bharatas, the Anūpas and the Kirātas were stationed at the ‘neck’ of the battle-array. O King, Drupada, with his vast army, stood at the ‘head’ of that formation. Kuntibhoja and Dhṛṣṭaketu, those two rulers, were placed as its ‘eyes’. O best of the Bharatas, the Dāśārṇakas—together with the Dāśeraka groups—along with the Prabhadrakas, the Anūpas, and the Kirāta bands were set in the position of the ‘throat’.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes disciplined organization and role-based duty in war: leaders and allied contingents are assigned precise positions within a formation, reflecting kṣatriya-dharma where order, coordination, and responsibility are ethical necessities amid conflict.
Sañjaya describes how specific allied kings and peoples are placed in a metaphorical body-shaped battle-array: Drupada at the head, Kuntibhoja and Dhṛṣṭaketu as the eyes, and groups like the Anūpas, Kirātas, Dāśārṇakas, Dāśerakas, and Prabhadrakas in the neck/throat region.