Kautilya on war

Author(s): R P Kangle
Publisher: Z_Jinvijay_Muni_Abhinandan_Granth_012033.pdf

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R. P. Kangle
reserves are to be stationed (10.2.20). For the fight the army is to be arranged in what is called a vyuha or battle-array. The text describes a number of different types of battlearrays (Ch. 10.6). A vyuha normally has a centre, two flanks and two wings. Each of these five sections is ordinarily to have an equal number of fighting units, anywhere from nine to twenty-one. It seems that a fighting unit is based either on an elephant or a chariot, with five horsemen and fifteen foot-soldiers in front and fifteen footsoldiers behind. Thus in an army with nine units in each section, there would be forty-five elephants or chariots, two hundred and twentyfive horsemen, six hundred and seventy-five foot-soldiers in front and an equal number of foot-soldiers behind (10.5.9-13). However, in accordance with different circumstances. the employment of only one of the four types of troops or of a combination of one or more of them is also recommended. In the rear of the vyuha, at a distance of two hundred dhanuses from it are to be stationed the reserves, which is where there the king also stays while the fight is going on (10.5.58).
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Behind the troops arranged for a fight physicians and surgeons are to take their stand with medicines, instruments, ointments and bandages for treating the wounded. By their side are to be women with food and drink for the soldiers. The women are also expected to encourage the soldiers to fight (10.3.47). These women are not nurses in the modern sense.
On the eve of the battle the king is advised to fast and offer a sacrifice with mantras from the Atharvaveda and to spend the night beside his weapons and vehicles (10.3.34-35). Before the start of the fight he should get together the troops and exhort them, saying that he himself is only a servant of the state like them (10.3.27). Moreover, the excellencies of the battle-array should be pointed out to them; prophecies of victory should be made to them by astrologers; bards should praise the heroism of the troops, speaking of attainment of heaven by the brave (10.3.32-33,44). At the same time the senapati is to announce rewards for outstanding acts of bravery during the fight; 100,000 papas for killing the enemy king, 50,000 for killing the senapati or a prince and so on. down to 20 papes for killing an ordinary soldier. It should also be announced that everyone would be allowed to keep what he is able to seize and would at the end of the fight receive a double wage as gratuity. Officers are expected to make a note of exploits by soldiers in their respective units (10.3.45-46).
It is laid down that during a fight safety should be given to the following; those who have fallen down (patita), those who have turned their back on the fight (paratimukha) those who surrender (abhipanna), those whose hair are loose apparently as a mark of submission (muktakesa), those who have abandoned their weapons (muktasastra) those whose appearance is changed through fear (bhayavirupa) and non-combatants (ayudhymana) (13.4.52). These are rules of what is usually called dharmayuddha.