Shloka 6
भीमसेनस्य प्रतिघातः—भगदत्तगजप्रहारः—घटोत्कचमायायुद्धम्
Bhīma’s Counteroffensive, Bhagadatta’s Elephant Assault, and Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā Engagement
पृष्ठे दुर्योधनो राजा सोदर्य: सानुगैर्वृत:
pṛṣṭhe duryodhano rājā sodaryaḥ sānugair vṛtaḥ |
अपने सहोदर भाइयों और अनुचरों से घिरा राजा दुर्योधन पृष्ठभाग में स्थित हुआ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in war: a king’s choices determine how allies and kin are deployed. Placing strong contingents at the rear underscores the need for order, protection, and accountability within a vast host—reminding that strategy is inseparable from responsibility.
Sañjaya describes the Kaurava army’s arrangement: Duryodhana stands at the rear with his brothers and attendants, while allied forces—Avanti’s princes Vinda and Anuvinda, and warriors from Kamboja, Śaka, and Śūrasena—hold the tail-end of the great battle formation as a rear-guard.