Shloka 10
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
गजा: पदाता रथिनस्तुरगाश्न विशाम्पते । व्यतिष्ठन् वागुराकारा: शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,प्रजानाथ! हाथी, घोड़े, पैदल और रथी, शत्रुओंको बाँधनेके लिये जाल-से बनकर एक- एक जगह सैकड़ों और हजारोंकी संख्यामें खड़े थे
gajāḥ padātā rathinas turagāś ca viśāmpate | vyatiṣṭhan vāgurākārāḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O lord of the people, elephants, infantry, chariot-warriors, and horses stood stationed—by hundreds and by thousands—arrayed like a net, as if to ensnare the enemy.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined organization and strategic coordination in war: forces are arranged like a net to contain and overpower the opponent. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—skill and order in battle can be admirable as kṣatriya-dharma, yet the same efficiency also intensifies destruction.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the battlefield forces—elephants, foot-soldiers, charioteers, and cavalry—have taken positions in large numbers, forming a net-like array intended to trap or bind the enemy’s movement.