सैन्यसंनिवेशः (Sainyasaṃniveśaḥ) — Deployment, Omens, and Yuddha-Dharma Conventions
एवं ते समयं कृत्वा कुरुपाण्डवसोमका: । विस्मयं परम जग्मु: प्रेक्षमाणा: परस्परम्,इस प्रकार नियम बनाकर कौरव, पाण्डव तथा सोमक एक-दूसरेकी ओर देखते हुए बड़े आश्वर्यचकित हुए
evaṁ te samayaṁ kṛtvā kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ | vismayaṁ paramaṁ jagmuḥ prekṣamāṇāḥ parasparam ||
Sau khi đã lập nên thỏa ước ấy, quân Kuru, quân Pāṇḍava và người Somaka—nhìn nhau—đều rơi vào nỗi kinh ngạc tột bậc.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights the binding force and unpredictability of a samaya (mutual compact): once a collective agreement is set, its implications can surprise even the parties who made it, reminding readers that ethical and strategic commitments in conflict carry consequences beyond immediate intent.
After establishing a stipulated arrangement among the opposing groups (Kurus, Pāṇḍavas, and their Somaka allies), they look at each other and are struck with great astonishment—signaling a tense pause and a shift in mood as the realities of the coming battle and the agreement’s effects sink in.