Shloka 22

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सैन्यप्रशंसा, भेदनवृत्तान्त-प्रश्नः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Praise of the Host and Inquiry after the Breach

Devanagari script

दीर्घो द्वादश गव्यूति: पश्चार्थे पज्च विस्तृत: । व्यूहस्तु चक्रशकटो भारद्वाजेन निर्मित:

Transliteration

dīrgho dvādaśa gavyūtiḥ paścārdhe pañca vistṛtaḥ | vyūhas tu cakraśakaṭo bhāradvājena nirmitaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “That battle-formation was twelve gavyūtis in length, and in its rear it spread to five (gavyūtis) in breadth. It was the ‘wheel-and-cart’ array, devised by Bhāradvāja (Droṇa).”

Word by Word

दीर्घःlong

द्वादशtwelve

गव्यूतिःgavyūti (a measure of distance)

पश्चात्behind; at the rear

अर्थेin extent/measure (lit. in meaning/extent)

पञ्चfive

विस्तृतःextended; spread out

व्यूहःbattle-array; formation

तुbut; however

चक्रशकटःthe ‘wheel-cart’ (name of a formation)

भारद्वाजेनby Bhāradvāja (Droṇa)

निर्मितःconstructed; formed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhāradvāja (Droṇa)

cakraśakaṭa-vyūha (wheel-and-cart battle formation)

gavyūti (unit of distance)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined organization and strategic planning in war: power is not only in warriors but also in the intelligent structuring of forces. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya world where duty and outcome hinge on leadership, foresight, and ordered conduct amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the dimensions and shape of a specific battlefield formation—the cakraśakaṭa-vyūha—stating its length and rear breadth, and attributing its design to Droṇa (called Bhāradvāja).