Shloka 7
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Kaurava-Aligned Mahārathas
Warrior Roster and Motivations
सैन्धवाय च वार्ष्णेयं युयुधानं समादिशत् । शिखण्डिनं च भीष्माय प्रमुखे समकल्पयत्
saindhavāya ca vārṣṇeyaṃ yuyudhānaṃ samādiśat | śikhaṇḍinaṃ ca bhīṣmāya pramukhe samakalpayat | dhṛṣṭaketukaḥ śalyāya, uttamaujāḥ kṛpācāryāya, nakulaḥ aśvatthāmne, śaibyaḥ kṛtavarmāṇe iti yathāyogyaṃ yoddhṝn vyavasthāpayām āsa |
Disse Sañjaya: Ele ordenou que Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), herói vārṣṇeya, enfrentasse Jayadratha, rei do Sindhu, e colocou Śikhaṇḍin na linha da frente contra Bhīṣma. Do mesmo modo, dispôs os demais campeões em oposições bem pareadas—Dhṛṣṭaketu contra Śalya, Uttamaujā contra Kṛpācārya, Nakula contra Aśvatthāmā e Śaibya contra Kṛtavarman—fixando a batalha em duelos deliberados, onde estratégia, dever e o peso moral de cada rivalidade seriam provados na guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible leadership in war: commanders must assign roles with clear purpose and proportionality, recognizing both strategic necessity and the ethical burden of sending individuals into specific, often morally charged confrontations (notably Śikhaṇḍī placed against Bhīṣma).
Sañjaya reports how the leaders arrange the battlefield by pairing major warriors against particular opponents—Yuyudhāna against Jayadratha and Śikhaṇḍī against Bhīṣma foremost—while other champions are similarly matched, indicating a planned, tactical deployment before combat.