शोणैर् हयै रुक्मरथो महात्मा; द्रोणो महाबाहुर् अदीनसत्त्वः ॥
आस्ते गुरुः प्रयशाः सर्वराज्ञां; पश्चाच् चमूम् इन्द्र इवाभिरक्षन् ॥
वार्द्धक्षत्रिः सर्वसैन्यस्य मध्ये; भूरिश्रवाः पुरुमित्रो जयश् च ॥
शाल्वा मत्स्याः केकयाश् चापि सर्वे; गजानीकैर् भ्रातरो योत्स्यमानाः ॥
शारद्वतश् चोत्तरधूर् महात्मा; महेष्वासो गौतमश् चित्रयोधी ॥
शकैः किरातैर् यवनैः पह्लवैश् च; सार्धं चमूम् उत्तरतो ऽभिपाति ॥
महारथैर् अन्धकवृष्णिभोजैः; सौराष्ट्रकैर् नैरृतैर् आत्तशस्त्रैः ॥
बृहद्बलः कृतवर्माभिगुप्तो; बलं त्वदीयं दक्षिणतो ऽभिपाति ॥
संशप्तकानाम् अयुतं रथानां; मृत्युर् जयो वार्जुनस्येति सृष्टाः ॥
येनार्जुनस् तेन राजन् कृतास्त्राः; प्रयाता वै ते त्रिगर्ताश् च शूराः ॥
śoṇair hayai rukmaratho mahātmā; droṇo mahābāhur adīnasattvaḥ ||
āste guruḥ prayaśāḥ sarvarājñāṃ; paścāc camūm indra ivābhirakṣan ||
vārddhakṣatriḥ sarvasainyasya madhye; bhūriśravāḥ purumitro jayaś ca ||
śālvā matsyāḥ kekayāś cāpi sarve; gajānīkair bhrātaro yotsyamānāḥ ||
śāradvataś cottaradhūr mahātmā; maheṣvāso gautamaś citrayodhī ||
śakaiḥ kirātair yavanaiḥ pahlavaiś ca; sārdhaṃ camūm uttarato 'bhipāti ||
mahārathair andhakavṛṣṇibhojaiḥ; saurāṣṭrakair nairṛtair āttaśastraiḥ ||
bṛhadbalaḥ kṛtavarmābhigupto; balaṃ tvadīyaṃ dakṣiṇato 'bhipāti ||
saṃśaptakānām ayutaṃ rathānāṃ; mṛtyur jayo vārjunasyeti sṛṣṭāḥ ||
yenārjunas tena rājan kṛtāstrāḥ; prayātā vai te trigartāś ca śūrāḥ ||
Drona, the great soul, mighty-armed and unbroken in spirit, stood in a golden chariot drawn by red horses; this teacher of many kings guarded the army from the rear, like Indra. In the center of the whole army were Bhurishrava of the line of Varddhakshatri, Purumitra, Jaya, the Shalvas, the Matsyas, and all the Kekayas, ready to fight with their elephant divisions. The great soul Kripa, son of Sharadvata, the northern pillar of the army, a mighty archer of the line of Gautama and a skilled fighter, guarded the army from the north together with the Shakas, Kiratas, Yavanas, and Pahlavas. Brihadbala, guarded by Kritavarman, together with the great chariot-warriors of the Andhakas, Vrishnis, and Bhojas, as well as the armed Saurashtrakas and southwestern warriors, guarded your army from the south. Ten thousand chariots of the Samshaptakas, sworn to "death or victory over Arjuna" — the valiant Trigartas, skilled in weapons, O king, set out for the place where Arjuna stood.
212aa4d5c2f6 · published Jul 17, 2026, 8:47:28 PM UTC
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Sanjaya shows that the Kaurava army is arranged with purpose, not chaos: Drona holds the rear, Kripa the north, Brihadbala and Kritavarman the south, and the Samshaptakas are appointed against Arjuna. Yet even this careful design is colored by doom: the oath of the Samshaptakas already sounds like a voluntary entry into death.