Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अलनम्बुषो रथश्रेष्ठ: श्रुतायुश्न महारथ: । पृष्ठत: सर्वसैन्यानां स्थितौ व्यूहस्य दंशितौ,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ अलम्बुष और महारथी श्रुतायु--ये दोनों कवच धारण करके सम्पूर्ण सेनाओं तथा व्यूहके पृष्ठभागमें खड़े थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

alambūṣo rathaśreṣṭhaḥ śrutāyuś ca mahārathaḥ |

pṛṣṭhataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ sthitau vyūhasya daṃśitau ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「車戦士の中でも最上のアランブーシャと、大車戦士シュルターユ――二人は甲冑をまとい、全軍の後方、陣形の背後に立って、支援と防護に備えた。」

Word by Word

अलम्बुषःAlambusha

रथश्रेष्ठःbest of chariot-warriors

श्रुतायुःShrutayu

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

पृष्ठतःat the rear/behind

सर्वसैन्यानाम्of all the troops/armies

स्थितौstood (the two stood)

व्यूहस्यof the battle-array/formation

दंशितौarmoured/encased (in mail)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Alambūṣa

Śrutāyu

ratha (chariot)

vyūha (battle formation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, effectiveness and restraint depend on disciplined order: capable warriors are assigned protective positions (rear support of the vyūha), reflecting duty-bound strategy rather than impulsive aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes troop placement: Alambūṣa and Śrutāyu, both armoured, are stationed behind the main forces at the back of the battle formation, serving as a rear guard/support element.