Shloka 9
जनकस्य युद्धोपदेशः — Janaka’s Instruction on Steadfast Battle-Conduct
गजानां रथिनो मध्ये रथानामनु सादिन: । सादिनामन्तरे स्थाप्यं पादातमपि दंशितम्
gajānāṁ rathino madhye rathānām anu sādinaḥ | sādinām antare sthāpyaṁ pādātam api daṁśitam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Place les guerriers de char au milieu des éléphants ; derrière les chars, dispose la cavalerie. Et dans les intervalles entre les cavaliers, poste aussi l’infanterie, entièrement armée et protégée, afin que la formation se soutienne mutuellement et soit difficile à rompre.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches practical rāja-nīti: an army should be arranged so that each arm supports the others—elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry placed in coordinated layers and gaps—creating protection, stability, and tactical flexibility.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing on governance and warfare. Here he gives a specific directive on battlefield deployment: position chariot-warriors among elephants, keep cavalry behind the chariots, and fill the spaces between horsemen with well-armed infantry.