Shloka 13
महाव्यूहप्रवर्तनम् / Deployment of the Great Battle Arrays
सर्वाणि सैन्यानि ततः प्रह्ृष्टो निर्गच्छतेत्याह नृपांश्व सर्वान् तदाज्ञया तानि विनिर्ययुर्द्रतं गजाश्व॒पादातरथायुतानि,तदनन्तर दुर्योधनने हर्षमें भरकर सम्पूर्ण राजाओं तथा सारी सेनाओंसे कहा--'युद्धके लिये निकलो।' राजा दुर्योधनकी आज्ञा पाकर सहस्रों हाथी, घोड़े, पैदल तथा रथोंसे भरी हुई वे सारी सेनाएँ तुरंत रणके लिये प्रस्थित हुईं
sañjaya uvāca | sarvāṇi sainyāni tataḥ prahṛṣṭo nirgacchatety āha nṛpān sa sarvān | tadājñayā tāni viniryayur drutaṃ gajāśvapādātarathāyutāni ||
Sañjaya said: Then, exultant, he addressed all the kings, saying, “Let all the armies march out.” At Duryodhana’s command, those forces—massed with elephants, horses, infantry, and chariots—swiftly set forth for battle. The verse underscores how a ruler’s order can mobilize vast power at once, heightening the moral weight of leadership when war is chosen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical burden of authority: a single royal command can unleash immense collective force. In a dharmic frame, leadership is judged not only by power to mobilize but by the righteousness of the cause for which that power is deployed.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, filled with excitement, orders all allied kings and their troops to march out. Obeying him, the combined forces—elephants, cavalry, infantry, and chariots—immediately advance toward the battle.