Shloka 9
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
धनुर्भिऋकष्टिभि: खड्गैर्गदाभि: शक्तितोमरै: । योधा: प्रहरणै: शुभ्रैस्तेष्वनीकेष्ववस्थिता:,आपकी सेनाके सैनिक धनुष, खड्ग, ऋष्टि, गदा, शक्ति और तोमर आदि चमकीले अस्त्र-शस्त्र लेकर उन सेनाओंमें खड़े थे
dhanurbhir ṛṣṭibhiḥ khaḍgair gadābhiḥ śaktitomaraiḥ | yodhāḥ praharaṇaiḥ śubhrair teṣv anīkeṣv avasthitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The warriors stood arrayed within those battle-formations, bearing bright weapons—bows, spears, swords, maces, and missiles such as śakti-darts and tomara-javelins—ready for the clash that was about to test resolve, discipline, and the claims of dharma on the field of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores disciplined preparedness in a dharmic conflict: warriors are not depicted as chaotic aggressors but as ordered forces, equipped and stationed—highlighting the Mahabharata’s recurring tension between martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and the moral weight of violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighters in the opposing arrays are already positioned, holding gleaming weapons of multiple kinds, indicating that the battle is imminent and the formations are set.