The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.81

c2.s5.81

§ Individual guards are called raksin, a statio or squad for guard (ārakṣa) is called rakṣyā or gulmaḥ. Thus, duryodhano niveçya balaṃ sam-mānayitvā nṛpatīn nyasya gulmāṅs tathāi’va ca, ārakṣasya vidhiṃ kṛtvā yodhānām just before he assembled his council (v. 160. 2). The spies, always part of a camp, and frequently sent across (early in the morning, v. 194. 2), may have made part of the ‘protection.’ Sometimes an advance squad is meant by gulma. Thus utkṣipta-gulma is a squad sent on ahead (iii. 15. 11). The tent-guards appear to be of little use (x. 8. 2). Some technicalities may be mentioned here. The word for ‘make an attack on one’ is generally apasavyaṃ karoti (vii. 187. 51, etc.; anyonyam apasavyaṃ ca kartuṃ vīrāu tad eṣatuḥ, vii. 188. 27), or