Sañjaya said: Seeing then the army of the Pāṇḍavas arranged in military formation, Duryodhana approached his teacher, the king, and spoke these words

Duryodhana, the firstborn of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and principal antagonist, observes with anxiety the vyūha (military formation) of the Pāṇḍavas. His immediate reaction — seeking Droṇācārya — reveals his dependent nature: unlike the Pāṇḍavas who trust in Kṛṣṇa, he requires external reassurance.

The formation vyūḍham implies a precise strategic disposition. Duryodhana’s military vision already anticipates his tactical obsession, blind to the ethical dimension of the conflict that his uncle Dhṛtarāṣṭra at least nominally acknowledges (verse 1).