Shloka 26
सैन्यसंनिवेशः (Sainyasaṃniveśaḥ) — Deployment, Omens, and Yuddha-Dharma Conventions
ततस्ते समयं चक्र: कुरुपाण्डवसोमका:
tataste samayaṃ cakruḥ kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ
Then the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas, and the Somakas made an agreement among themselves—setting the appointed terms and understanding by which the impending conflict would proceed, indicating that even in war there were recognized conventions and collective decisions.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that even amid the approach of war, rulers and armies recognized binding conventions (samaya). This points to a dharmic ideal: conflict should be governed by agreed rules and restraint rather than unchecked violence.
As the opposing forces assemble, the Kurus, Pāṇḍavas, and their allies (Somakas) establish an agreement—an understanding about the conduct or terms surrounding the coming battle.