Shloka 4
Kaurava Mobilization at Kurukṣetra (Duryodhana Orders War Preparations) / कुरुक्षेत्रे धार्तराष्ट्र-सैन्यसज्जा
तासां ये पतयः सप्त विख्यातास्तान् निबोधत । द्रुपदश्न विराटश्न धृष्टदुम्नशिखण्डिनौ
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
tāsāṃ ye patayaḥ sapta vikhyātās tān nibodhata |
drupadaś ca virāṭaś ca dhṛṣṭadyumnaś śikhaṇḍī ca |
sātyakiś cekitānaś ca parākrama-bhīmasenaś ca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Now learn the seven renowned commanders of those seven armies. They are Drupada and Virāṭa, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śikhaṇḍin, Sātyaki and Cekitāna, and the mighty Bhīmasena. These heroes stand ready to sacrifice even their bodies for our cause; therefore they are fit to direct the Pāṇḍava host.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective leadership in a righteous cause rests on proven loyalty and readiness for self-sacrifice; the verse highlights selecting commanders who are renowned and committed to the collective duty of protecting dharma.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana lists the seven celebrated leaders appointed over the seven armies aligned with the Pāṇḍavas, naming key allies and emphasizing their valor and willingness to give their lives.