History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.470.3

v4.c62.470.3

55 also states that doctors well-versed in extracting splinters or arrow-heads (from the body) approached with their surgical instruments to extract the darts from Bhīṣma's body. The duties of the labourers (*viṣṭi*) were to examine the camp, roads, bridges, wells, and river *ghats*, to carry machines, weapons, armour, utensils, fodder, to remove from the battle-field wounded men along with their weapons and armour.²⁷³ Each commander had some distinguishing device as his banner e. g. Bhīṣma had a golden tāla tree as his standard (Bhīṣmaparva VI. 17. 18, tālena mahatā Bhīṣmaḥ pañcatāreṇa ketunā). In X. 6 Kauṭilya speaks of several formations (*vyūhas*) called daṇḍa, bhoga, maṇḍala, aśanihata and the subdivisions such as gomūtrikā, makara &c. In Kām. XVIII. 48-49, XIX. 40 ff., Manu VII. 187-191, Nītiprakāśikā, chap. 6 and in the Mahābhārata many vyūhas are described. Vanaparva (285. 6-7) refers to Rāvaṇa's arrangement of his army according to the rules of Uśanas and of Rāma's army according to Bārhaspatya rules. The Āśramavāsikaparva 7. 15 refers to the formations called Śakaṭa, Padma and Vajra described in the work of Uśanas. Kauṭilya X. 6 also refers to Auśanasa and Bārhaspatya arrangements of armies. Droṇa 75. 27, 87. 22-24, Karṇaparva 11. 14 and 28 mention certain vyūhas like Makara, Śakaṭa &c. Vide also Mānasollāsa II. 20 verses 1170-1181 pp. 134-135, Agnipurāṇa 242. 7-8 and 42-73 for vyūhas.