Shloka 11
Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance
तथैव कुरवो राजन् भीष्मं कृत्वा महारथम् | अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां प्रययु: पाण्डवान् प्रति,राजन्! इसी प्रकार कौरवोंने भी महारथी भीष्मको सब सेनाओंके आगे करके पाण्डवोंपर चढ़ाई की
tathaiva kuravo rājan bhīṣmaṃ kṛtvā mahāratham | agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ prayayuḥ pāṇḍavān prati ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, demikian juga kaum Kuru mara menentang para Pāṇḍava, dengan menempatkan Bhīṣma—pahlawan kereta perang agung—di barisan paling hadapan seluruh angkatan mereka.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Leadership in war is portrayed as a weighty dharmic responsibility: appointing Bhīṣma—an elder bound by vows and duty—signals that authority, legitimacy, and obedience to command structures shape the ethical texture of the conflict, not merely battlefield strength.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces, mirroring the opposing preparations, march toward the Pāṇḍavas with Bhīṣma placed at the head of all troops, indicating the formal commencement of their advance and the centrality of Bhīṣma’s command.