Shloka 9
जनकस्य युद्धोपदेशः — Janaka’s Instruction on Steadfast Battle-Conduct
गजानां रथिनो मध्ये रथानामनु सादिन: । सादिनामन्तरे स्थाप्यं पादातमपि दंशितम्
gajānāṁ rathino madhye rathānām anu sādinaḥ | sādinām antare sthāpyaṁ pādātam api daṁśitam ||
ビーシュマは言った。「象兵の中ほどに戦車兵を置け。戦車の後ろには騎兵を配せよ。さらに騎兵の間隙には、甲冑と武器で整えた歩兵をも据えよ。そうすれば陣は互いに支え合い、破られ難くなる。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches practical rāja-nīti: an army should be arranged so that each arm supports the others—elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry placed in coordinated layers and gaps—creating protection, stability, and tactical flexibility.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing on governance and warfare. Here he gives a specific directive on battlefield deployment: position chariot-warriors among elephants, keep cavalry behind the chariots, and fill the spaces between horsemen with well-armed infantry.