Shishupala-vadha (Study)
by Shila Chakraborty | 2018 | 112,267 words
This page relates 鈥榁arious other Arrays鈥� of the study on the Shishupala-vadha (in English) in the light of Manusamhita (law and religious duties) and Arthashastra (science of politics and warfare). The Shishupalavadha is an epic poem (Mahakavya) written by Magha in the 7th century AD. It consists of 1800 Sanskrit verses spread over twenty chapters and narrates the details of the king of the Chedis.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Various other Arrays
Beside this 碍补耻峁璱濒测补 has said about the array of 补谤颈峁ａ弓补 (unharmed array) acala (immovable array) apratihata (unrepulsed array) cakra (circular) and antrarbhedi (piercing) madhyabhedi (middle piercing) etc.
According to 碍补耻峁璱濒测补:
鈥渞athorasyo hastikak峁'艣vap峁涐梗峁環o'谤颈峁ａ弓补岣� 触鈥�(10.6.39)[1]
鈥淥ne with chariot at the centre, elephants on the flanks and horses in the rear is the 鈥渦nharmed array;鈥�[2]
鈥減attayo'艣v膩 rath膩 hastina艣c膩nup峁涐梗峁環amacala岣� 触鈥� (10.6.40)[3]
鈥淔辞辞迟 soldiers, horses chariots and elephants, one behind the other is the 鈥渋mmovable鈥� array.[4]
鈥渉astino'艣v膩 rath膩岣� pattaya艣c膩nu p峁涐梗峁環amapratihata岣� 触鈥�(10.6.41)[5]
Again 鈥渆lephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, one behind the other is the unrepulsed鈥�.[6]
碍补耻峁璱濒测补 says about establishment of array against the enemies array.
鈥渢别峁Ｄ佱箖 辫谤补诲补谤补峁� d峁涐笉hakena gh膩tayet, d峁涐笉hakamasahyena; 艣测别苍补峁� 肠腻辫别苍补; 辫谤补迟颈峁ａ弓丑补峁� 蝉耻辫谤补迟颈峁ａ弓丑别苍补;, 蝉补帽箩补测补峁� vijayena; 蝉迟丑奴濒补办补谤峁嘺峁� vi艣膩lavijayena;p膩ripatantaka峁� sarvatobhadrena | durjayena sarv膩n prativy奴heta | (10.6.42-43)[7]
鈥淎mong these he should counter-act the 鈥�splitter鈥� with the 鈥榮trengthener鈥�, the 鈥榮trengthener鈥� with the 鈥榰nbearable鈥�, the 鈥榝alcon鈥� with the 鈥榖ow鈥�, The 鈥榚stablished鈥� with the 鈥榳ell established鈥�, the 鈥榗onqueror鈥� with the 鈥榲ictory鈥�, the 鈥榩illar-eared鈥� with the 鈥榚xtensive victory鈥� the 鈥�flying about鈥� with the good-on-all sides. With the invincible, he should counter-arrange against all other arrays.鈥�[8]
鈥减补迟迟测补艣惫补谤补迟丑补诲惫颈辫腻苍腻峁� 辫奴谤惫补峁� p奴rvamuttare峁嘺 gh膩tayet | h墨n膩峁単amadhik膩峁単ena ceti | (10.6.44)[9]
鈥淥f foot-soldiers, horses, chariots, and elephants, he should strike at each earlier one with each later one and an inferior arm with a superior arm鈥�.[10]
In his view (碍补耻峁璱濒测补鈥檚 view) there is to concern about many subject in the time of forming array, like what would be the formation of army under general, the feature of battle field etc. 碍补耻峁璱濒测补 said it should form staff array and circle array in plain land, and snake bhoga and dispersed in uneven land.
Manu said a king should wage a battle forming 蝉奴肠墨 (needle) array with little number of soldiers and vajra (thunder) array with a great number of soldiers. If there is any apprehension from any where, the king would expand his army in that position and should be in the centre of the padma array.
In this context Manu has said鈥�
鈥測ata艣ca bhayam膩艣a峁卥ettato vist膩rayed balam |
padmena caiva vy奴hena nivi艣eta 蝉补诲腻 svayam |触鈥� 7.188 ||[11]鈥淔rom what every side he apprehends danger, in that direction let him extend his troops and let him always himself encamp in an array, shaped like a lotus鈥�.[12]
Padma vyuha (Lotus array):
鈥楾he lotus array is stated to be equally extended on all sides and pefectly circular the centre being occupied by the King鈥�.
Commentator said鈥攁bout the commentary of the above verse
鈥�yatra sa峁僷annad峁涐笉haprah膩ravist墨r峁嘺 艣atrupu峁ａ弓aparasparamavaruddharathik膩艣v膩rohakarival膩nyaba鈥攈it膩ni bhavanti | samant膩dvist峁泃aparima峁囜笉alo madhyanivi峁ａ弓avijig墨峁岣� 辫补诲尘补惫测奴丑补岣� iti 尘别诲丑腻迟颈迟丑颈岣� 触鈥�
Commentator Kull奴ka also said:
鈥测补蝉测腻 诲颈艣补岣� 艣atrubhayam膩艣a峁卥eta tasy膩mev膩tmavala峁� vist膩rayet | samavist峁泃a parima峁囜笉alo madhyopavi峁ａ弓ajig墨峁岣� padma惫测奴丑补stena pur膩nnirgatya 蝉补谤惫补诲腻 ka峁璦kanive艣ana峁� kury膩t 触鈥�
According to Kull奴ka 蝉奴肠墨 惫测奴丑补 (needle) is:
鈥減ip墨lik膩pa峁卥tirav膩grapa艣c膩dbh膩vena sa峁僪atarupatay膩 yatrayatra sainik膩vasthana峁� sa 诲墨谤驳丑补 prav墨rapuru峁mukha岣� 蝉奴肠墨惫测奴丑补sten膩grato bhaye sati y膩y膩t |
Manu also said鈥�
鈥渟a峁僪at膩n yodhayedalp膩n 办腻尘补峁� vist膩rayed vah奴n |
sucy膩 vajre峁嘺 caivait膩n vy奴hena vy奴hya yodhayet || 鈥�7.191 ||[13]鈥淟et him make a small numbers of soldiers fight in close order, at his pleasure let him extend a large number in loose ranks, or let him make them fight, arranging (a small number) in the needle array, and a large number in the thunder bol tarray.鈥�[14]
Thunder bolt array is triangular. In this respect Kull奴ka said鈥�
鈥渁lp膩n yodh膩n sa峁僪at膩n 办峁泃惫腻 bahun punaryaye峁ａ弓a峁� vist膩raryet | s奴cy膩 p奴rvokty膩 vajr膩khyena vy奴hena 迟谤颈诲丑腻 vyavasthitavalena 谤补肠补测颈迟惫腻 yodh膩n yodhayet 触鈥�
Thunder bolt array seems to be very strong and impenetrable from its name. Padma array is such a array which is equally expandable in all sides and is completely round, and the king occupies its central position.
Kull奴ka has said鈥�
鈥渟amavist峁泃a parima峁囜笉alo madhy膩pavi峁ａ弓ajigo峁岣� 辫补诲尘补惫测奴丑补岣� tena pur膩nnirgatya 蝉补谤惫补诲腻 kapa峁璦nive艣ana峁� kury膩ti 触鈥� (7/188)
Moreover, if there is any apprehension from both sides, it should form 驳补谤耻岣� as array i.e. in a rhomboid with far extended wings. This array is like 惫补谤腻丑补 array or like boar array i.e in a rhombus. Just its 辫补办峁 (wing) is more expanded. It looks like romboid.
In this context Manu said鈥�
鈥溁宀贯箛岣嵅箆y奴hena tamm膩rga峁� y膩y膩ttu 艣aka峁璭na v膩 |
惫补谤腻丑补makar膩bhy膩峁� v膩 s奴cy膩 v膩 驳补谤耻岣峞na v膩 |触鈥� 7.187 ||[15]鈥淟et him march on his road, arraying his troops like a staff (i.e. in an oblong) or like a waggon (i.e. in a wedge) or like a boar (i.e in a rhombus), or makara (i.e. in two triangles with the epices joined) or like a pin (i.e. a long line) or like a 驳补谤耻岣峚 (i.e in a rhomboid with far extended wings)鈥�[16]
According to 惭别诲丑腻迟颈迟丑颈
鈥︹�� vi艣e峁峁嘺 tu 蝉补尘腻测腻峁� bh奴mau 诲补峁囜笉补驳补谤耻岣� s奴cibhiry膩y膩t | vi峁m膩y膩峁� sa岣峩a峁亂膩峁� 艣补办补峁璦makara 惫补谤腻丑补iriti 触鈥�
Manu has said-a king would wage war with chariot and horse in plain land. He would wage battle in a water surrounded area with boat and elephant, in a place covered with trees and shrubs by arraw, in a hilly area with sword, small shield etc.
鈥渟yandan膩艣vai岣� same yudhyedan奴pe nau dvipaistath膩 |
v峁沰峁gulm膩v峁泃e c膩峁僷airasicarm膩yudhai岣� sthale |触鈥� 7.192 ||[17]鈥淥n even ground let him fight with chariots and horses, in water -bound places with boats and elephants, on ground covered with trees and shrubs with bows, on hilly ground with swords, tergets and other weapons.鈥�[18]
The king would keep the soulders from 办耻谤耻办峁迟谤补, matsya, 笔腻帽肠腻濒补 and surasena and who are tall and sleem figured in front of the battle field.
鈥渒uruk峁tr膩峁兣沜a matsy膩峁兣沜a p膩帽c膩l膩n 艣奴谤补蝉别苍补j膩n |
d墨rgh膩lla峁僩h奴峁兣沜aiva nar膩nagr膩n墨ke峁 yojayet |触鈥� 7.193 ||[19]鈥淢en born in 办耻谤耻办峁迟谤补, matsya, 笔补帽肠腻濒补, and those born 艣奴谤补蝉别苍补, let him cause to fight in the van of the battle, as well as others who are tall and light.[20]
Those who are dependable, with whom there is arrangement of signalling, who are expert, fearless, loyal, make attack are scattered in all side by the king.
In the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 it is said鈥�
In case of an attack in front 惫颈箩墨驳颈峁 should march in the crocodile array, otherwise he would go with the cart array, on the two flanks, in the thunderbolt array, on all sides, on-all-sides array, in a region where march in a single file alone is possible, in the needle array.
According to 碍补耻峁璱濒测补鈥�
鈥減urast膩d abhy膩gh膩te makare峁嘺.y膩y膩t, pa艣c膩cchaka峁璭na, p膩r艣vayorvajre峁嘺, 蝉补尘补苍迟补迟补岣� sarvatobhadre峁嘺, ek膩yane s奴cy膩 触鈥�10.2.9 ||[21]
Manu did not mention any division of 诲补峁囜笉补 array.
Manu has mentioned 鈥�艣补办补峁璦鈥� and 鈥榤akara鈥� array among the divisions of 鈥�bhoga鈥� array which are discussed in the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补.
But he did not mention any division of 鈥�尘补峁囜笉补濒补鈥� and 鈥�补蝉补峁僪补迟补鈥� array.
He also says that鈥攚hen the king fights against his enemy with a few number of his force then he should arrange them in 蝉奴肠墨 (niddle) array and when he fights against the enemy with a large number of his soldiers, then he should arrange them in vajra (thunder) array and king should be in the centre of the lotus array arranging the large number of his force in the risky place.
碍补耻峁璱濒测补 did not mention the name of padma array.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ibid., part-I, p. 243.
[2]:
ibid., part-II, p. 452.
[3]:
ibid., part-I, p. 243.
[4]:
ibid., part-II, p. 452.
[5]:
ibid., part-I, p. 243.
[6]:
ibid., part-II, p. 452.
[7]:
ibid., part-I, p. 243.
[8]:
ibid., part-II, p. 452.
[9]:
ibid., part-I, p. 243.
[10]:
ibid., part-II, p. 252.
[11]:
Manabendu Bandyopadhay: Op.cit., p.717.
[13]:
Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: Op cit., p.719.
[14]:
Ashokanath Shastri: Op. cit., p. 189.
[15]:
Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: Op. cit., p.716.
[16]:
Ashokanath shastri: Op. cit., p. 186.
[17]:
Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: Op. cit., p.720.
[18]:
Ashokanath shastri: Op. cit., p.190.
[19]:
Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: Op. cit., p.720.
[20]:
Ashokanath shastri: Op. cit., p.190.
[21]:
R.P. Kangle: Op. cit., Part-I, p. 234.