Shloka 17
Adhyāya 78 — Bhīṣma’s Advance, Duryodhana’s Rally, and Concurrent Duels (भीष्मस्याभ्युद्यमः, दुर्योधनस्योत्साहवचनम्, विविधयुद्धवर्णनम्)
कृतवर्मा तु सहित: काम्बोजवरबाद्निकै: । शिरस्यासीन्नरश्रेष्ठ: श्रेष्ठ: सर्वधनुष्मताम्
kṛtavarmā tu sahitaḥ kāmbojavarabāhlikaiḥ | śirasy āsīn naraśreṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanuṣmatām ||
ਕਾਂਬੋਜ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਹਲੀਕ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੇ ਉੱਤਮ ਯੋਧਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ, ਸਭ ਧਨੁਰਧਾਰੀਆਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਨਰਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਕ੍ਰਿਤਵਰਮਾ ਵ੍ਯੂਹ ਦੇ ਸਿਰੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਆ ਖੜ੍ਹਾ ਹੋਇਆ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is prosecuted through disciplined organization and the placement of capable leaders; it implicitly contrasts martial excellence and strategic order with the grave ethical weight of deploying such power in a fratricidal conflict.
Sañjaya reports the Kaurava battle-array arrangement: Kṛtavarmā, supported by elite Kāmboja and Bāhlīka fighters, is stationed at the very front/head of the formation as a leading archer and commander.