Shloka 30
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
अहानि युयुधे भीष्मो दशैव परमास्त्रवित् । अहानि पज्च द्रोणस्तु ररक्ष कुरुवाहिनीम्,अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके सर्वोपरि मर्मज्ञ भीष्मपितामहने दस दिनोंतक युद्ध किया, आचार्य द्रोणने पाँच दिनोंतक कौरव-सेनाकी रक्षा की
ahāni yuyudhe bhīṣmo daśaiva paramāstravit | ahāni pañca droṇas tu rarakṣa kuruvāhinīm ||
Bhīṣma, maître suprême des armes célestes, combattit dix jours. Puis Droṇa protégea l’ost des Kurus pendant cinq jours. Ainsi se dessine la succession réglée des chefs de guerre, et l’on voit combien le sort des armées dépend de la prouesse et de la stratégie de quelques gardiens d’élite.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how responsibility in war is borne by appointed protectors: the army’s survival depends on disciplined leadership and mastery of arms, reminding readers that power and duty are inseparable and that outcomes often hinge on a few key agents entrusted with protection.
It states the duration of command and battlefield role: Bhīṣma fought for ten days, and afterward Droṇa guarded the Kuru forces for five days, indicating a chronological sequence of principal commanders and their protective function over the Kaurava host.