Shloka 413
अड्जन्येतानि कौरव्य प्रकाशानि बलस्य तु । कुरुवंशी पाण्डुनन्दन! हाथी, घोड़े, रथ, पैदल, बेगारमें पकड़े गये बोझ ढोनेवाले लोग, नौकारोही, गुप्तचर तथा कर्तव्यका उपदेश करनेवाले गुरु-ये सेनाके प्रकट आठ अड़ हैं
aṣṭāṅgāny etāni kauravya prakāśāni balasya tu | kuruvaṃśī pāṇḍunandana! hastī aśvā rathāḥ padātayaḥ, balād gṛhītā bhāra-vāhakāḥ, naukārohāḥ, guptacarāḥ tathā kartavyopadeśakā guravaḥ—ete senāyāḥ prakaṭā aṣṭāṅgāni ||
Bhishma said: “O Kauravya, these are the eight manifest components of an army. O scion of the Kuru line, son of Pandu: elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry; those compelled and seized for carrying burdens and service; boatmen and river-transport crews; spies; and teachers who instruct one in duty—these are the army’s eight visible limbs.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma defines an army not only by its fighting arms (elephants, horses, chariots, infantry) but also by its enabling supports—logistics labor, water-transport, intelligence (spies), and dharma-guidance (gurus). Power is presented as a system whose ethical direction and practical infrastructure are integral to success.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and duty, Bhishma addresses a Kuru-descendant (Pandu’s son) and enumerates the eight visible constituents of a military force, expanding the notion of ‘army’ beyond battlefield units to include transport, espionage, and moral instruction.