Shloka 20
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
यतो वायुर्यत: सूर्यो यत: शुक्रस्ततो जय: । पूर्व पूर्व ज्याय एषां संनिपाते युधिषछ्िर
yato vāyur yataḥ sūryo yataḥ śukras tato jayaḥ | pūrvaḥ pūrvaḥ jyāya eṣāṁ sannipāte yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhishma said: “Victory is gained in battle when one keeps one’s rear toward the direction from which the wind blows, where the sun stands, and where Venus is seen. O Yudhishthira, if these three lie in different directions and cannot all be aligned, then among them the earlier-mentioned is the superior consideration—thus, even if one keeps the wind to one’s back while the other two remain in front, one may still fight effectively.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that practical factors—wind direction, the sun’s position, and the auspicious/visible placement of Venus—can influence battlefield advantage; when they conflict, prioritize them in the order stated, with the wind as the foremost consideration.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on aspects of righteous rule and conduct, including pragmatic counsel for warfare; here he gives directional guidance for arranging one’s position in battle to improve the chances of victory.