ALL was ready for the battle. The warriors on both sides gathered together and solemnly bound themselves to honour the traditional rules of war.

The code of conduct in war and methods of warfare vary from time to time. It is only if what was in vogue at the time of the Mahabharata war is kept in mind that we can understand the epic. Otherwise, the story would be puzzling in places.

From what follows, the reader may have some idea of the rules of warfare followed in Kurukshetra battle. Each day, the battle was over at sunset, and the hostiles mixed freely like friends.

Single combats might only be between equals and one could not use methods not in accordance with dharma. Thus those who left the field or retired would not be attacked. A horseman could attack only a horseman, not one on foot.

Like wise, charioteers, elephant troops and infantrymen could engage themselves in battle only with their opposite numbers in the enemy ranks.