Shloka 42
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
एत एव समाजममुर्युद्धाय भरतर्षभ । एवं विभज्य राजेन्द्र मद्रराजवशे स्थिता:
eta eva samājam amur yuddhāya bharatarṣabha | evaṁ vibhajya rājendra madrarājavaśe sthitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Thus, O bull among the Bharatas, they arranged that host for battle. Having apportioned the forces in this manner, O king, they stood under the command and control of the king of Madra.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in war: once forces are deliberately organized and assigned, responsibility concentrates in the commander (here, the Madra king), emphasizing accountability and the binding nature of strategic decisions.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava host has been arranged for battle and divided into assigned parts, after which the troops take their positions under the authority of the king of Madra (Śalya).