Shloka 55

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः

Devanagari script

पक्षकोटिप्रपक्षेषु पक्षान्तेषु च वारणा:

Transliteration

pakṣakoṭiprapakṣeṣu pakṣānteṣu ca vāraṇāḥ

Translation

桑阇耶说道：战象沿两翼与对翼的侧面列置，又守在翼端尽头——此等布置为稳固战阵之线，并遏止突如其来的突破。

Word by Word

• पक्षकोटिप्रपक्षेषु: in the counter-wings at the ends of the wings
• पक्षकोटिप्रपक्षेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षकोटि-प्रपक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• पक्षान्तेषु: at the wing-ends/flanks
• पक्षान्तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षान्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वारणाः: elephants
• वारणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• war-elephants

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined organization in warfare: strength (elephants) is placed where lines are most vulnerable—on flanks and wing-ends—showing that power must be guided by structure and foresight rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting battlefield dispositions: elephants are deployed on the wings, counter-wings, and at the ends of the formation to protect the army’s sides and prevent encirclement or sudden enemy penetration.