Various other Arrays

Beside this Kauṭilya has said about the array of ariṣṭa (unharmed array) acala (immovable array) apratihata (unrepulsed array) cakra (circular) and antrarbhedi (piercing) madhyabhedi (middle piercing) etc.

According to Kauṭilya:

“rathorasyo hastikakṣo'śvapṛṣṭho'riṣṭaḥ |”(10.6.39)^[1]

“One with chariot at the centre, elephants on the flanks and horses in the rear is the “unharmed array;”^[2]

“pattayo'śvā rathā hastinaścānupṛṣṭhamacalaḥ |” (10.6.40)^[3]

“Foot soldiers, horses chariots and elephants, one behind the other is the “immovable” array.^[4]

“hastino'śvā rathāḥ pattayaścānu pṛṣṭhamapratihataḥ |”(10.6.41)^[5]

Again “elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, one behind the other is the unrepulsed”.^[6]

Kauṭilya says about establishment of array against the enemies array.

“teṣāṃ pradaraṃ dṛḍhakena ghātayet, dṛḍhakamasahyena; śyenaṃ cāpena; pratiṣṭhaṃ supratiṣṭhena;, sañjayaṃ vijayena; sthūlakarṇaṃ viśālavijayena;pāripatantakaṃ sarvatobhadrena | durjayena sarvān prativyūheta | (10.6.42-43)^[7]

“Among these he should counter-act the ‘splitter’ with the ‘strengthener’, the ‘strengthener’ with the ‘unbearable’, the ‘falcon’ with the ‘bow’, The ‘established’ with the ‘well established’, the ‘conqueror’ with the ‘victory’, the ‘pillar-eared’ with the ‘extensive victory’ the “flying about” with the good-on-all sides. With the invincible, he should counter-arrange against all other arrays.”^[8]

“pattyaśvarathadvipānāṃ pūrvaṃ pūrvamuttareṇa ghātayet | hīnāṅgamadhikāṅgena ceti | (10.6.44)^[9]

“Of 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”.^[10]

In his view (Kauṭilya’s 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. Kauṭilya 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 sūcī (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—

“yataśca bhayamāśaṅkettato vistārayed balam |
padmena caiva vyūhena niviśeta sadā svayam ||” 7.188 ||^[11]

“From 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”.^[12]

Padma vyuha (Lotus array):

‘The lotus array is stated to be equally extended on all sides and pefectly circular the centre being occupied by the King’.

Commentator said—about the commentary of the above verse

“yatra saṃpannadṛḍhaprahāravistīrṇa śatrupuṣṭaparasparamavaruddharathikāśvārohakarivalānyaba—hitāni bhavanti | samantādvistṛtaparimaṇḍalo madhyaniviṣṭavijigīṣuḥ padmavyūhaḥ iti medhātithiḥ |”

Commentator Kullūka also said:

“yasyā diśaḥ śatrubhayamāśaṅketa tasyāmevātmavalaṃ vistārayet | samavistṛta parimaṇḍalo madhyopaviṣṭajigīṣuḥ padmavyūhastena purānnirgatya sarvadā kaṭakaniveśanaṃ kuryāt |”

According to Kullūka sūcī vyūha (needle) is:

“pipīlikāpaṅktiravāgrapaścādbhāvena saṃhatarupatayā yatrayatra sainikāvasthanaṃ sa dīrgha pravīrapuruṣamukhaḥ sūcīvyūhastenāgrato bhaye sati yāyāt |

Manu also said—

“saṃhatān yodhayedalpān kāmaṃ vistārayed vahūn |
sucyā vajreṇa caivaitān vyūhena vyūhya yodhayet || ”7.191 ||^[13]

“Let 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.”^[14]

Thunder bolt array is triangular. In this respect Kullūka said—

“alpān yodhān saṃhatān kṛtvā bahun punaryayeṣṭaṃ vistāraryet | sūcyā pūrvoktyā vajrākhyena vyūhena tridhā vyavasthitavalena racayitvā yodhān yodhayet |”

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.

Kullūka has said—

“samavistṛta parimaṇḍalo madhyāpaviṣṭajigoṣuḥ padmavyūhaḥ tena purānnirgatya sarvadā kapaṭaniveśanaṃ kuryāti |” (7/188)

Moreover, if there is any apprehension from both sides, it should form garuḍ as array i.e. in a rhomboid with far extended wings. This array is like varāha array or like boar array i.e in a rhombus. Just its pakṣa (wing) is more expanded. It looks like romboid.

In this context Manu said—

“daṇḍavyūhena tammārgaṃ yāyāttu śakaṭena vā |
varāhamakarābhyāṃ vā sūcyā vā garuḍena vā ||” 7.187 ||^[15]

“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 makara (i.e. in two triangles with the epices joined) or like a pin (i.e. a long line) or like a garuḍa (i.e in a rhomboid with far extended wings)”^[16]

According to Medhātithi

…… viśeṣeṇa tu samāyāṃ bhūmau daṇḍagaruḍ sūcibhiryāyāt | viṣamāyāṃ saḍkaṭāyāṃ śakaṭamakara varāhairiti |”

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.

“syandanāśvaiḥ same yudhyedanūpe nau dvipaistathā |
vṛkṣagulmāvṛte cāṃpairasicarmāyudhaiḥ sthale ||” 7.192 ||^[17]

“On 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.”^[18]

The king would keep the soulders from kurukṣetra, matsya, Pāñcāla and surasena and who are tall and sleem figured in front of the battle field.

“kurukṣetrāṃśca matsyāṃśca pāñcālān śūrasenajān |
dīrghāllaṃghūṃścaiva narānagrānīkeṣu yojayet ||” 7.193 ||^[19]

“Men born in kurukṣetra, matsya, Pañcāla, and those born śūrasena, 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 Arthaśāstra it is said—

In case of an attack in front vijīgiṣu 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 Kauṭilya—

“purastād abhyāghāte makareṇa.yāyāt, paścācchakaṭena, pārśvayorvajreṇa, samantataḥ sarvatobhadreṇa, ekāyane sūcyā |”10.2.9 ||^[21]

Manu did not mention any division of daṇḍa array.

Manu has mentioned ‘śakaṭa’ and ‘makara’ array among the divisions of ‘bhoga’ array which are discussed in the Arthaśāstra.

But he did not mention any division of ‘maṇḍala’ and ‘asaṃhata’ array.

He also says that—when the king fights against his enemy with a few number of his force then he should arrange them in sūcī (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.

Kauṭilya 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.

[12]:

Ashokanath shastri: Op. cit., p. 187.

[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.