Shloka 11
भीष्म-द्रोणादिभिः पाण्डवसेनाक्षयकाल-निर्णयः | Time-estimates for the depletion of the Pāṇḍava forces
Bhīṣma–Droṇa council
ते समेत्य यथान्यायं धार्तराष्ट्रा महाबला: । कुरुक्षेत्रस्य पश्चार्थे व्यवातिष्ठन्त दंशिता:
te sametya yathānyāyaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrā mahābalāḥ | kurukṣetrasya paścārthe vyavātiṣṭhanta daṃśitāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: Reunidos conforme al orden debido, los poderosos hijos de Dhṛtarāṣṭra—armados y pertrechados por completo—tomaron sus posiciones en el flanco occidental de Kurukṣetra. La escena subraya una preparación bélica disciplinada: se afirma el orden exterior y la prontitud marcial, mientras el conflicto moral sobre el recto proceder y la legitimidad del reino sigue desplegándose.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that even in an unrighteous or contested cause, participants may display strict external discipline and proper procedure. It invites reflection on the difference between orderly conduct (nīti in practice) and the deeper question of dharma—whether the underlying aim is just.
The Kaurava side (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons and their forces) assembles and, properly arranged and fully armed, takes position on the western part of Kurukṣetra, indicating the formal readiness and deployment of troops before the impending conflict.