सेनापत्ये यदा राजा गाङ्गेयम् अभिषिक्तवान् ॥
तदैतान्य् उग्ररूपाणि अभवञ् शतशो नृप ॥
ततः सेनापतिं कृत्वा भीष्मं परबलार्दनम् ॥
वाचयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान् निष्कैर् गोभिश् च भूरिशः ॥
वर्धमानो जयाशीर्भिर् निर्ययौ सैनिकैर् वृतः ॥
आपगेयं पुरस्कृत्य भ्रातृभिः सहितस् तदा ॥
स्कन्धावारेण महता कुरुक्षेत्रं जगाम ह ॥
परिक्रम्य कुरुक्षेत्रं कर्णेन सह कौरवः ॥
शिबिरं मापयाम् आस समे देशे नराधिपः ॥
मधुरानूषरे देशे प्रभूतयवसेन्धने ॥
यथैव हास्तिनपुरं तद्वच् छिबिरम् आबभौ ॥
senāpatye yadā rājā gāṅgeyam abhiṣiktavān ||
tadaitāny ugrarūpāṇi abhavañ śataśo nṛpa ||
tataḥ senāpatiṃ kṛtvā bhīṣmaṃ parabalārdanam ||
vācayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhān niṣkair gobhiś ca bhūriśaḥ ||
vardhamāno jayāśīrbhir niryayau sainikair vṛtaḥ ||
āpageyaṃ puraskṛtya bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitas tadā ||
skandhāvāreṇa mahatā kurukṣetraṃ jagāma ha ||
parikramya kurukṣetraṃ karṇena saha kauravaḥ ||
śibiraṃ māpayām āsa same deśe narādhipaḥ ||
madhurānūṣare deśe prabhūtayavasendhane ||
yathaiva hāstinapuraṃ tadvac chibiram ābabhau ||
When the king anointed Gangeya to the office of commander-in-chief, O king, these dreadful omens arose by the hundreds. Then, having made Bhishma, the crusher of the enemy's forces, commander-in-chief, he had the foremost brahmins recite blessings and lavishly gifted them with gold coins and cattle. Strengthened by blessings of victory, he set forth surrounded by soldiers; placing Apageya in front, together with his brothers and a great marching host, he went to Kurukshetra. Having circled Kurukshetra together with Karna, the Kaurava had a camp laid out on level ground, O lord of men. In a pleasant, salt-free region, abundant in grass and fuel, the camp shone as splendidly as Hastinapura itself.
88b7221e17bd · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:52 AM UTC
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Duryodhana grasps the outward need for unified command, yet his choice still stands within an already broken dharma. Bhishma's answer reveals the tragic duality of his position: bound by duty to the throne, he does not renounce his knowledge of the truth or his attachment to the Pandavas. Bhishma's conditions, and Karna's refusal to fight under him, show that even within the vast Kaurava army, unity remains only superficial.