Shloka 7
भीष्म-द्रोणादिभिः पाण्डवसेनाक्षयकाल-निर्णयः | Time-estimates for the depletion of the Pāṇḍava forces
Bhīṣma–Droṇa council
गान्धारराज: शकुनि: प्राच्योदीच्याश्व सर्वश: । शका: किराता यवना: शिबयो5थ वसातय:,अश्व॒त्थामा, भीष्म, सिन्धुराज जयद्रथ, दाक्षिणात्य नरेश, पाश्चात््य भूपाल और पर्वतीय भूपाल, गान्धारराज शकुनि तथा पूर्व और उत्तरदिशाके नरेश, शक, किरात, यवन, शिबि और वसाति भूपालगण--ये सभी महारथीलोग अपनी-अपनी सेनाओंके साथ महारथी (भीष्म)-को सब ओरसे घेरकर दूसरे सैन्य-दलके रूपमें सुसज्जित होकर निकले
vaiśampāyana uvāca | gāndhārarājaḥ śakuniḥ prācyodīcyāś ca sarvaśaḥ | śakāḥ kirātā yavanāḥ śibayo 'tha vasātayaḥ | aśvatthāmā bhīṣmaḥ sindhurājo jayadrathaḥ dākṣiṇātya-nareśāḥ pāścātyā bhūpālāḥ parvatīyāś ca bhūpālāḥ—ete sarve mahārathāḥ sva-sva-senābhiḥ sametāḥ mahārathiṃ (bhīṣmam) sarvataḥ parivārya dvitīya-sainyadala-rūpeṇa susajjitāḥ nirjagmuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: Vua xứ Gandhāra là Śakuni, cùng các chúa công phương Đông và phương Bắc; lại có các tộc Śaka, Kirāta, Yavana, Śibi và Vasāti—hợp với Aśvatthāmā, Bhīṣma, và vua xứ Sindhu là Jayadratha, cùng các vua miền Nam, miền Tây và xứ núi—những đại chiến xa ấy, ai nấy đem quân mình, kết thành đạo quân thứ hai; vây Bhīṣma bốn phía rồi dàn trận chỉnh tề mà xuất chinh.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how large-scale conflict is enabled by deliberate coalition-building and disciplined military organization. Ethically, it underscores that war is not a sudden accident but a planned mobilization of many polities—implying collective responsibility for the escalation toward adharma-driven destruction.
A wide array of kings and warrior-groups—named and regionally classified—assemble with their troops. They form a second battle-division and march out, encircling Bhīṣma as the central great warrior/commander figure, indicating a formal deployment of forces.