The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.83

c2.s5.83

The van, rear, flanks, wings, center of the army in the field (ranājira, e. g. xi. 16. 4), all have their proper names. Fore wing and back wing (or flank) are also described.† Worth noting is the fact that the nominal commander-in-chief is displaced by some of his friends, never with contempt, but by his own consent. Thus, it is Yudhishthira who gives to the Pāndus the final order to array at the opening of the war; and he is here, though the leading spirit, not the commander, nor even the chief of the allied forces (v. 154. 17). So Karna, though not commander, sends to the Kurus the order to ‘harness before sunrise’ through the camp by a herald.‡