संजय उवाच
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा स्वां सेनां समचोदयत् ॥
प्रतिव्यूहन्न् अनीकानि भीष्मस्य भरतर्षभ ॥
यथोद्दिष्टान्य् अनीकानि प्रत्यव्यूहन्त पाण्डवाः ॥
स्वर्गं परम् अभीप्सन्तः सुयुद्धेन कुरूद्वहाः ॥
मध्ये शिखण्डिनो ऽनीकं रक्षितं सव्यसाचिना ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य च स्वयं भीमेन परिपालितम् ॥
अनीकं दक्षिणं राजन् युयुधानेन पालितम् ॥
श्रीमता सात्वताग्र्येण शक्रेणेव धनुष्मता ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā svāṃ senāṃ samacodayat ||
prativyūhann anīkāni bhīṣmasya bharatarṣabha ||
yathoddiṣṭāny anīkāni pratyavyūhanta pāṇḍavāḥ ||
svargaṃ param abhīpsantaḥ suyuddhena kurūdvahāḥ ||
madhye śikhaṇḍino 'nīkaṃ rakṣitaṃ savyasācinā ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnasya ca svayaṃ bhīmena paripālitam ||
anīkaṃ dakṣiṇaṃ rājan yuyudhānena pālitam ||
śrīmatā sātvatāgryeṇa śakreṇeva dhanuṣmatā ||
Sanjaya said: "Then King Yudhishthira, O bull among the Bharatas, urged on his army and arrayed his battle ranks against Bhishma. The Pandavas, bearers of the Kuru line, desiring to attain the highest heaven through valiant battle, took their positions according to the assigned formations. In the center stood the ranks of Shikhandin, protected by Savyasachin, while Dhrishtadyumna himself was guarded by Bhima. The right flank, O king, was defended by Yuyudhana, glorious and foremost among the Satvatas, like Indra himself with his bow."
9f95877dc65d · published Jul 17, 2026, 8:55:05 PM UTC
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The Pandavas answer Bhishma's array not with chaos but with a precise distribution of protectors. Shikhandin is placed at the center because through him Bhishma's fate must be decided; Arjuna and Bhima become the pillars supporting this design.