Sutra 9

Devanagari script

पुरस्तादध्याघाते मकरेण यायात्पश्चाच्छकटेन पार्श्वयोर्वज्रेण समन्ततः सर्वतोभद्रेण एकायने सूच्या ॥ कZ_१०.२.०९ ॥

Transliteration

purastād adhyāghāte makareṇa yāyāt paścāc chakaṭena pārśvayor vajreṇa samantataḥ sarvatobhadreṇa ekāyane sūcyā

Translation

若预期正面冲击，则以“makara”阵前进；若受后方威胁，则用“chakaṭa”（车阵）；若受两翼威胁，则用“vajra”（金刚/雷霆）阵；若四面受敌，则用“sarvatobhadra”（全向）阵；在单一狭窄道路上，则用“sūcī”（针）阵。

Word by Word

• पुरस्तात्: in front; from the front; forward
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/देशवाचक; ‘in front/forward’

• अध्याघाते: in/at close impact (direct engagement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि-आ-√घात्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘अध्याघात’ = close/overlapping strike, direct collision/impact (contextual)

• मकरेण: by/with the Makara (formation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; करण/साधन

• यायात्: should advance/go
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; ‘he should go/advance’

• पश्चात्: behind; from the rear; afterwards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चा
• Form: अव्यय; ‘behind/afterwards’

• शकटेन: by/with the Śakaṭa (cart-shaped formation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः); तृतीया एकवचन; करण/साधन

• पार्श्वयोः: on the two sides / on both flanks
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन (स्थाने); here: locative dual sense ‘on the two flanks/sides’

• वज्रेण: by/with the Vajra (formation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; करण/साधन

• समन्ततः: all around; on every side
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्त
• Form: अव्यय; ‘on all sides/around’

• सर्वतोभद्रेण: by/with the Sarvatobhadra (formation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतोभद्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; करण/साधन; (सर्वतः + भद्र)

• एकायने: in a single line / in single file
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकायन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘in a single line/one-way track’

• सूच्या: by/with the Sūcī (needle formation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूची
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; करण/साधन

Entities Mentioned

• makara-vyūha
• chakaṭa-vyūha
• vajra-vyūha
• sarvatobhadra-vyūha
• sūcī-vyūha

More Details

FAQs

What principle governs the choice of vyūha here?

Formation is selected by the direction of threat and the constraint of terrain/route—deploy to cover the most likely attack axis.

Why prescribe ‘sūcī’ on a single narrow route?

A narrow track prevents broad deployment; a needle-like column preserves movement while maintaining controllable order.