अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः ।भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि ॥
ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathābhāgamavasthitāḥ |bhīṣmamevābhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi ||
So in all the approaches, each of you standing firm at your assigned post, all of you must protect Bhishma above all.
Explanation
Duryodhana is speaking to his commanders, as Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra. After weighing the two armies' strength, he orders each commander to hold his assigned position at every entry point (ayana) and to keep Bhishma, the chief commander, safe. Some readers see this as sensible strategy, while others see a hint of Duryodhana's anxiety about relying on Bhishma.