Shloka 7
Sainyasaṅgraha and Bhāga-Vyavasthā (Forces Assembled and Rival Allocations) | सैन्यसंग्रह-भागव्यवस्था
सहित: पृथिवीपालो भ्रातृभिस्तनयैस्तथा । अक्षौहिण्यैव सैन्यानां वृत: पार्थ समाश्रित:
sahitaḥ pṛthivīpālo bhrātṛbhis tanayais tathā | akṣauhiṇyaiva sainyānāṃ vṛtaḥ pārtha samāśritaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The king, accompanied by his brothers and his sons, was surrounded by a full akṣauhiṇī of troops. Thus supported and sheltered, O Pārtha, he stood relying on that strength.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how rulers consolidate authority through kinship networks and military force; ethically, it foreshadows the danger of relying on sheer power and familial factions as the basis for action when dharma is under strain.
Sañjaya reports to Pārtha (Arjuna) that the king is accompanied by his brothers and sons and is encircled by a full akṣauhiṇī of troops, indicating a major mobilization and readiness for the coming confrontation.