Shloka 256
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
पाण्डवानां तथा सप्त महापुरुषपालिता: । भूपाल! आपकी ये ग्यारह अक्षौहिणी सेनाएँ तथा पाण्डवोंकी सात अक्षौहिणी सेनाएँ वीर पुरुषोंसे सुरक्षित हो उत्तम शोभासे सम्पन्न दिखायी देती थीं
pāṇḍavānāṃ tathā sapta mahāpuruṣa-pālitāḥ | bhūpāla! āpakī ye ekādaśa akṣauhiṇī senāeṃ tathā pāṇḍavoṃ-kī sapta akṣauhiṇī senāeṃ vīra-puruṣoṃ-se surakṣita ho uttama śobhā-se sampanna dikhāyī detī thīṃ |
三阇耶说道：大王啊，你的十一支阿叉乌希尼军与般度族的七支阿叉乌希尼军——各由伟大的英雄守护——显得防备森严，光辉赫奕。此景昭示：军势之强不唯在数量，更在统帅之德与将士之勇；正是在这场考验达摩的战争边缘，它们支撑起一切。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that strength in war is not only numerical; it depends on protection, discipline, and the presence of great leaders. Ethically, it foreshadows how the coming conflict will test dharma through the use of power guided (or misused) by those leaders.
Sanjaya describes to the king the opposing forces at Kurukshetra: the king’s side with eleven akṣauhiṇīs and the Pandavas with seven. Both hosts appear splendid and secure because they are guarded by renowned heroes, setting the stage for the battle’s opening movements.