Arrangement of Array (vyūha) (Introduction)

When the war is imminent and the two waring parties face each other then there is need of arrangement of array. Kauṭilya and post Kauṭilya politicians gave a detailed descriptions about arrangement of array.

Kauṭilya has said in this context arrangement of battle arrays in wings, flanks and front in accordance with the strength of troops.

He also discussed that:

“troops are to be arranged for fighting in byūhs or battle arrays, which have a centre, two flanks and two wings. It seems that each of the five sections are to contain an equal number of units, from nine to twenty-one. It appears that a unit for this purpose is based either on a chariot or an elephant.

To each unit is attached, beside a chariot or an elephant, five horsemen and fifteen infantrymen in front and fifteen behind. Thus in the nine-unit array, there would be forty-five chariots or elephants, two hundred and twenty five horsemen and six hundred and seventy-five infantrymen in front and an equal number behind”.^[1]

There were 9 × 5 = 45 chariot or elephant, 45 × 5 = 225 cavelry, 15 × 9 × 5 = 675 infantry in front and 675 in the back.

He said—

“vyūhaṃ ca sthapayitvā pakṣakakṣorasyānāmekena dvābhyāṃ vā praharet | śeṣaiḥpratigṛhnīyāt | yat parasya dūrvalaṃ vītahastyaśvaṃ dūṣyāmātyakaṃ kṛtopajāpaṃ vā, tat prabhūtasāreṇābhihanyāt | yadvā parasya sāriṣṭhaṃ, taddviguṇasāreṇābhihaṇyāt | yadaṅgamalpasāramātmanaḥ, tad vahunopacinuyāt | yataḥ parasyāpacayastato'bhyāśe vyūheta, yato vā bhayaṃ syāt |” (10.5.48-52)^[2]

English version says—

“After arranging the battle-array, however, he should strike with one or two out of the wings, flanks and centre; with the remaining he should support (the attack). He should attack with plenty of best troops that army of the enemy which is weak, lacking in elephants and horses, with treasonable officers in it or seduced by secret instingations. Or, when the enemy’s army is most strong, he should attack it with double that number of best troops. He should reinforce that arm of his which has few best troops with a large number of them. He should arrange the troops near the place where the enemy has suffered a loss, or whence there may be danger”.^[3]

The text describes a large number of battle arrays, of which there are four basic types,

1. daṇḍa-vyūha—“staff array”,
2. bhoga-vyūha—‘serpent array’,
3. maṇḍala-vyūha “circular array” and
4. asaṃhata-vyūha—loose array.”

The choice of an array is to depend on the terrain as well as the disposition of the enemy troops”.

There are four categories of array (vyūha) in the Arthaśāstra:

1. the staff (daṇḍa),
2. Serpent or the snake (bhoga),
3. the circular or the circle (maṇḍala) and
4. the diffuse loose (asaṃhata).

These are basic array.

Manu has also mentioned various Kind of vyūha (array): 1) daṇḍa, 2) śakaṭa, 3) varāha, 4) makara, 5) sūca, 6) garuḍa and 7) padma.

daṇḍavyūhena tanmārgaṃ yāyāttu śakaṭena vā |
varāhamakarābhyāṃ vā sūcyā vā garuḍena vā ||”7.187 ||^[4]

“Let 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 a makara (i.e in two traingles with the epices Joined) or like a pin (i.e in a long line) or like a Garuḍa (i.e. in a rhomboid with far extended wings).”^[5]

Kullūkabhaṭṭa said in this context—

“daṇḍākṛtivyūharacanādiḥ daṇḍavyūhaḥ, evaṃ śakaṭādivyūhā api | tatrāgre balādhyakṣo, madhye rājā paścāt senāpatiḥ pārśvayorhastinastat samīpe ghoṭakāstataḥ padātayaḥ ityevaṃ kṛtaracano dīrghaḥ, sarvataḥ samavinyāso daṇḍavyūhastena tadyātavyaṃ mārgaṃ sarvato bhaye sati yāyāt | sūcyākārāgraḥ paścāt pṛthulaḥ śakaṭavyūhastena ṣṛṣṭhato bhaye sati gacchet | sūkṣamukhapaścādbhāgaḥ pṛthūbhadhyo varāhavyūhaḥ, eṣa eva pṛthutaramadhyo garuḍavyūhastābhyāṃ pārśvayorbhaye sati brajet | varāhaviparyayeṇa makaravyūhastenāgre paścāccobhayatra bhaye sati gacchet | pipīlikāpaṃ—ktirivāgrapaścādbhāvena saṃhata—rupatayā yatra yatra sainikāvasthanaṃ sa śīrgha pravīrapuruṣamukhaḥ sūcīvyūhastenāgrato bhaye sati yāyāt |”

Manu has not discussed about the features of these array (vyūha). In this context, the explanation of Kullūka helps us enough. Kauṭilya of course, has discussed about the features of the vyūha in his book the “Arthaśāstra”.

According to Uśanasa and Bṛhaspati—

“prapakṣakakṣeFrasyā ubhayoḥ daṇḍabhogaṇḍalāsaṃhatāḥ prakṛtivyuhāḥ | tatra tiryagvṛttirdaṇḍaḥ | samastānāmanvavṛttirbhīgaḥ saratāṃ sarvatovṛttiḥ maṇḍalaḥ | sthitānāṃ pṛthaganīkavṛttirasaṃhataḥ |” (10.6.3-7).52

“According to both, arrays with wings, flanks and centre are the basic arrays, the staff, the snake, the circle and the diffuse. Among them, that with crosswise operations is the staff array. Operation of all (divisions) one after the other is the snake array. Operation on all sides of advancing (divisions) is the circle array. The seperate operation of divisions as stationed is the diffuse array.”^[6]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

R.P. Kangle: op. cit., part-III, p. 259.

[2]:

ibid., part-I, p. 241.

[3]:

ibid., part-II, pp. 448-449.

[4]:

Manabendu Bandyopadhaya: Op.cit., p.716.

[5]:

Ashokanath shastri: Op. cit., p. 186.

[6]:

ibid., Part-II, p. 450.