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CHAKRAVYUHS - War formations, special war puzzles(Viyuhs)
About the Chakravyu, I am a little confused as to what the people on this forum understand of Chakravyus.
Chakravyu were puzzle like war formations designed by tacticians of a camp. People studied the formations of these Vyuh- Puzzles, how to design one, how to enter one, how to break them and how to come out of them.
There were the basic war formations- known to every informed warrior who official took the War lessons.
Then there were the Custom made Chakra viyuhs designed by the foremost of the war Tacticians personally for their own use.
In that subhadra-Arjuna scene, there were different designs of Chakravyuhs lying around.
Design of Viyuhs had to do with the Tacticians mind, putting every trick and every small information you have in a specific geometry. It is said that Krishna and Arjuna had a mind of an engineer or an architect(?) i guess.They both were involved in the Architecture and design of Dwarka City and Indraprastha City. To design the Viyuhs, Geometry and war study were used.
Go read the Virata War - Bheeshma Formed a chakravyuh to protect Duryodhana from BRIHNALA(Arjuna).
This was a defensive chakravyuh. All the warriors, bheeshma, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Karna, Drona, Bheeshma were standing in different levels of the chakravyuh with Duryodhan at the centre.
Every formation of these Viyuhs had different number of warriors and gates, and an able commander like Drona or Bheeshma or Arjuna.
2 million soldiers could be used or no soldiers at all could be used too. In simple words, Viyuhswere like mazes. Every level was harder than the level before. There are mentions of Mayavi chakraviyuhs in which magic was used.
Shrikhandani was shown as the commander of of Drupads chakravyuh.
Sahdevas chakravyuh was extremely small but effective. A one man formation.
There were two types of Chakravyuh - offensive and defensive. Krishna and Arjuna enjoyed breaking Viyuhs.
Guru Dronas chakravyuh was called PADMAVYUH because it was shaped like a lotus. It was an offensive one.
Bheeshma was against Offensive viyuhs because he did not like the idea of a warrior being attacked from every different side. It went against the basic Principles of war. Even in the Kurukshetra war he was against it but he was one out of three people who could be the commander including Dron and Karna. After these three were dead, there are no signs of any war formations.
Karna again never liked Viyuhs,he didnt think it was a good idea to hide yourself in a formation.
Bheeshma formed a Defensive viyuh during the Virata war though. So they could protect the King. But Arjuna broke every level with the last three levels being commanded by Karna, Drona and Bheeshma. He got to Duryodhana.
Kauravas formed many kind of chakravuhs during the war. Multiples war formations.
When they wanted to protect Jayadaratha from Arjuna who had vowed to Kill him, Guru drona formed another Defensive chakraviyuh which was a combination of many viyuhs like the Sarpaviyuh and soochiviyuh, but alas, Arjuna broke them all and entered inside it with Krishna.
In those days, a successful war formations could be designed and executed with the :-
right knowledge of angles and geometry
the right kind of gates and levels with every level being different and harder from the level before
good warriors who were quick on their feat
formidable Commander who could instruct under pressure
Absence of Arjuna😆
Fun Fact: 1) Abhimanyu crossed 6 levels of Dronas chakraviyuh.
2) Krishna and Arjuna had an indulgent hobby of breaking Chakraviyuhs. it was fun for them and they both had long discussions on it.
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