Shloka 9
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता
शीर्षे तस्याभवद् वीर: सात्यकि: सत्यविक्रम: । विधुन्वन् गाण्डिवं पार्थों ग्रीवायामभवत् तदा,शिरोभागमें सत्यपराक्रमी वीर सात्यकि और ग्रीवाभागमें गाण्डीवधनुषकी टंकार करते हुए कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन खड़े हुए
sañjaya uvāca |
śīrṣe tasyābhavad vīraḥ sātyakiḥ satyavikramaḥ |
vidhunvan gāṇḍīvaṃ pārtho grīvāyām abhavat tadā ||
Sañjaya said: “At the head of that formation stood the hero Sātyaki, whose valor never fails. And then, at its neck stood Pārtha (Arjuna), shaking the Gāṇḍīva bow so that it resounded—signaling readiness and resolve as the battle order took shape.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined leadership in righteous conflict: capable warriors are placed where their strengths best serve the whole, and Arjuna’s sounding of Gāṇḍīva functions as a public vow of readiness—courage guided by duty rather than impulse.
Sañjaya describes positions within a battle array: Sātyaki stands at the ‘head’ of the formation, while Arjuna stands at its ‘neck,’ shaking the Gāṇḍīva so it resounds, marking the moment the formation is set and the warriors are poised for engagement.