Shloka 7
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
गजानां पार्थ वर्माणि गोवृषाजगराणि च । शल्यकण्टकलोहानि तनुत्रचमराणि च
gajānāṁ pārtha varmāṇi govṛṣājagarāṇi ca | śalyakaṇṭakalohāni tanutracamarāṇi ca ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Partha, siapkan baju zirah pelindung bagi gajah—dibuat dari kulit sapi, banteng, bahkan ular piton. Sediakan pula dalam jumlah banyak paku besi dan perlengkapan besi yang runcing seperti duri, bersama pelindung tubuh dan kipas chāmara. Wahai putra Kunti, seorang raja hendaknya selalu menyimpan perlengkapan ini, agar terutama pasukan gajah tetap terlindungi dan siap tempur.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma includes practical preparedness: maintaining protective equipment and supplies—especially for key military assets like elephants—so that the realm’s defense is reliable and disciplined.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on concrete measures of military readiness, specifying materials and items to be kept prepared for protecting war-elephants and sustaining the army.