Sañjaya said: Thus addressed by Guḍākeśa, oh Bhārata, Hṛṣīkeśa placed the excellent chariot between the two armies

Sañjaya’s return as narrator underscores the ritual nature of the moment. The epithets of Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are symmetrical: Guḍākeśa (the thick-haired one, another name for Arjuna) responds to Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses). One represents the individual bottled up in physical form; the other, consciousness that transcends.

Kṛṣṇa fulfills the request without questioning. The rathottamam (supreme chariot, excellent) is not just transport but a symbol of the body in Sāṅkhya. Placing it “between” is the gesture of balance that Arjuna needs but cannot achieve alone.

The action is sthāpayitvā (having placed) — completed before Arjuna speaks again.