ततः शांतनवो भीष्मो निर्ययौ सेनया सह ॥
व्यूहं चाव्यूहत महत् सर्वतोभद्रम् आहवे ॥
कृपश् च कृतवर्मा च शैब्यश् चैव महारथः ॥
शकुनिः सैन्धवश् चैव काम्बोजश् च सुदक्षिणः ॥
भीष्मेण सहिताः सर्वे पुत्रैश् च तव भारत ॥
अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां व्यूहस्य प्रमुखे स्थिताः ॥
द्रोणो भूरिश्रवाः शल्यो भगदत्तश् च मारिष ॥
दक्षिणं पक्षम् आश्रित्य स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिताः ॥
अश्वत्थामा सोमदत्त आवन्त्यौ च महारथौ ॥
महत्या सेनया युक्ता वामं पक्षम् अपालयन् ॥
दुर्योधनो महाराज त्रिगर्तैः सर्वतो वृतः ॥
व्यूहमध्ये स्थितो राजन् पाण्डवान् प्रति भारत ॥
अलम्बुसो रथश्रेष्ठः श्रुतायुश् च महारथः ॥
पृष्ठतः सर्वसैन्यानां स्थितौ व्यूहस्य दंशितौ ॥
एवम् एते तदा व्यूहं कृत्वा भारत तावकाः ॥
संनद्धाः समदृश्यन्त प्रतपन्त इवाग्नयः ॥
tataḥ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmo niryayau senayā saha ||
vyūhaṃ cāvyūhata mahat sarvatobhadram āhave ||
kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca śaibyaś caiva mahārathaḥ ||
śakuniḥ saindhavaś caiva kāmbojaś ca sudakṣiṇaḥ ||
bhīṣmeṇa sahitāḥ sarve putraiś ca tava bhārata ||
agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ vyūhasya pramukhe sthitāḥ ||
droṇo bhūriśravāḥ śalyo bhagadattaś ca māriṣa ||
dakṣiṇaṃ pakṣam āśritya sthitā vyūhasya daṃśitāḥ ||
aśvatthāmā somadatta āvantyau ca mahārathau ||
mahatyā senayā yuktā vāmaṃ pakṣam apālayan ||
duryodhano mahārāja trigartaiḥ sarvato vṛtaḥ ||
vyūhamadhye sthito rājan pāṇḍavān prati bhārata ||
alambuso rathaśreṣṭhaḥ śrutāyuś ca mahārathaḥ ||
pṛṣṭhataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ sthitau vyūhasya daṃśitau ||
evam ete tadā vyūhaṃ kṛtvā bhārata tāvakāḥ ||
saṃnaddhāḥ samadṛśyanta pratapanta ivāgnayaḥ ||
Then Bhishma, son of Shantanu, went forth with the army and in battle drew up the great sarvatobhadra formation. Kripa, Kritavarman, the great warrior Shaibya, Shakuni, Saindhava-Jayadratha, and Sudakshina of the Kambojas, all together with Bhishma and your sons, O Bharata, took their stand at the front of the whole army, at the head of the array. Drona, Bhurishravas, Shalya, and Bhagadatta, O worthy one, took the right flank of the formation and stood there in armor. Ashvatthama, Somadatta, and the two great warriors of Avanti, joined with a large force, guarded the left flank. King Duryodhana, great king, surrounded on all sides by the Trigartas, stood in the middle of the formation, facing the Pandavas, O Bharata. Alambusa, the finest charioteer, and the great warrior Shrutayus took their stand at the rear of the whole army, armed. Thus your warriors, O Bharata, having arrayed this battle order, appeared clad in armor and blazing like fires.
81ac76f140bb · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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The Kaurava formation is carefully arranged: Bhishma at the front, strong commanders on the flanks, Duryodhana in the center. But all this symmetry serves one anxiety alone — to keep Bhishma from meeting the one against whom he will not raise his weapon.