crocodile

[Dominique.Thillaud]

Dear listmembers,
        I'm not understanding well the tactical formation 'makaram' used
two times in the MBh (once by dhRSTadyumna (6.71), once by karNa (8.7)).
        I could imagine three lines (please, align with tabs ;-)
                   ^
                  oOo
                |||||||
- the 'tuNDa'
- the head between both eyes
- the nape with the biggest part of the warriors
        But, if the dangerous 'tuNDa' is occuped by bhIma or karNa, the
just as dangerous eyes are occuped by the twins or by zakuni and ulUka,
poor warriors, leaving much better ones in the head (arjuna, azvatthaman)
and in the nape (sAtyaki, duryodhana).
        Had somebody an explanation (actual strategy or grammatical
influence of the dual)? How translate here 'tuNDa': beak, snout, mouth? Do
an Indian ear hear the meaning tudati in this tuNDa?
        Merci d'avance,
Dominique

PS: to save bytes, I not send the text, but I can do it if you need.

Dominique THILLAUD
Universite' de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France