Shloka 23
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
रथस्य नागा: पञ्चाशन्नागस्यथासन् शतं हया: । हयस्य पुरुषा: सप्त भिन्नसंधानकारिण:,एक-एक रथके पीछे पचास-पचास हाथी, एक-एक हाथीके पीछे सौ-सौ घोड़े और एक-एक घोड़ेके साथ सात-सात पैदल सैनिक इस उद्देश्यसे संगठित किये गये थे कि वे समूहसे बिछुड़ी हुई दो सैनिक टुकड़ियोंको परस्पर मिला दें
rathasya nāgāḥ pañcāśan nāgasya cāsan śataṃ hayāḥ | hayasya puruṣāḥ sapta bhinnasaṃdhānakāriṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Para cada carro havia cinquenta elefantes; para cada elefante, cem cavalos; e com cada cavalo, sete soldados de infantaria—organizados com o objetivo tático específico de reunir destacamentos militares que se tivessem separado de suas formações maiores. A descrição destaca uma ordenação bélica disciplinada, destinada a evitar confusão e fragmentação na batalha.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, effectiveness depends on disciplined organization and the capacity to restore cohesion when units break apart; leadership is shown in planning for reunification rather than letting disorder spread.
The narrator describes a structured deployment: chariots supported by elephants, elephants by horses, and horses by foot-soldiers, with the foot-soldiers tasked to reconnect separated groups and maintain formation integrity.