Shloka 26
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
गौतमो दक्षिणे पाश्वे शकैश्न यवनै: सह । अश्वत्थामा पृष्ठतो5भूत् काम्बोजै: परिवारित:,व्यूहके वामभागमें त्रिगर्तोंसे घिरा हुआ कृतवर्मा खड़ा था। दक्षिण पार्श्चमें शकों और यवनोंकी सेनाके साथ कृपाचार्य थे और पृष्ठभागमें काम्बोजोंसे घिरकर अश्व॒त्थामा खड़ा था
sañjaya uvāca | gautamo dakṣiṇe pārśve śakaiś ca yavanaiḥ saha | aśvatthāmā pṛṣṭhato 'bhūt kāmbojaiḥ parivāritaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Di sayap kanan berdiri Gautama (Kṛpācārya) bersama bala Śaka dan Yavana; dan di bahagian belakang berdiri Aśvatthāmā, dikepung oleh orang Kāmboja. Rangkap ini memetakan susunan perang Kaurava—bagaimana panglima berpengalaman dan kontingen sekutu ditempatkan untuk melindungi formasi—gambaran tertib perang yang diperhitungkan, ketika kesetiaan kepada pihak sendiri dan tugas strategi mengatasi keselesaan diri, sementara tragedi etika perang saudara terus berlanjut.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined placement and collective duty in war: commanders accept assigned roles—flank and rear protection—to uphold their side’s safety. Ethically, it underscores how dharma in a battlefield context often appears as loyalty and responsibility within a tragic, destructive conflict.
Sañjaya describes positions within the Kaurava formation: Kṛpācārya (Gautama) stands on the right with Śaka and Yavana troops, while Aśvatthāmā holds the rear, surrounded by Kāmboja warriors—indicating a guarded, structured deployment.