Shloka 4
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
महर्षेवचनात् तात वेदयन्ति बृहस्पते: । संहतान् योधयेदल्पान् काम॑ विस्तारयेद् बहूनू
maharṣe-vacanāt tāta vedayanti bṛhaspateḥ | saṁhatān yodhayed alpān kāmaṁ vistārayed bahūn ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai anakku, daripada ajaran resi agung Bṛhaspati, inilah yang difahami: apabila tentera musuh sedikit, hendaklah bertempur dengan menyusun pasukan sendiri secara rapat dan padat; tetapi apabila berhadapan dengan yang ramai, hendaklah mengembangkan bala tentera seluas yang dikehendaki.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Military deployment should match circumstances: against a small opposing force, fight in a tight, concentrated formation; against a larger force, expand and spread the formation to meet the threat effectively.
Sañjaya reports a strategic maxim attributed to the sage-authority Bṛhaspati, explaining how an army should be arranged depending on whether the enemy is fewer or more numerous.