1. Arjuna's Dilemma

Arjun Viṣhād Yog

BG 1.3

Behold! The mighty Pandava army, marshalled for battle by your own gifted disciple, Dhrishtadyumna.

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता

Duryodhana begins his monologue with a delicate reminder to his teacher that they are facing his former students in battle, who have acquired their considerable skills in warfare by his guidance.

mahatīṁ chamūm

Often translated as "great army", the literal meaning is closer to "glorious legions". In the Ramayana, another classic Sanskrit epic, a camū (चमू) is a military division consisting of 729 elephants, 729 chariots, 2187 horses, and 3645 foot soldiers.

drupada-putreṇa

Duryodhana specifically refers to the commander of the opposing army, Dhrishtadyumna, as "son of Drupad" (drupada-putreṇa), to subtly remind his teacher Drona of his former friend Drupada, who humiliated him in childhood for his poor financial condition. Drona would go on to lead a military campaign against Drupad and conquer half of his kingdom of Panchal. Humiliated in defeat, Drupad would go on to perform a fire sacrifice in the aims of producing a powerful son who would defeat Drona. A son emerged from the fire who would go on to become a highly trained warrior under the tutelage of Drona himself, despite Drona being fully aware of the prophecy that this particular student would eventually be the one to kill him. As someone who holds firm to the principles of dharma, Drona was always an impartial teacher to all his students.

tava śhiṣhyeṇa dhīmatā

There is no dialogue by Drona in the Bhagavad Gita, but in the chapter of the Mahabharata immediately following the Bhagavad Gita's final chapter, the leader of the Pandavas (Yudhishthira) puts aside his weapons and walks on foot to the Kaurava army. He approaches his teacher Drona, salutes him, and asks: "My invincible teacher! How may I fight without incurring sin, and how may I vanquish my foes with your permission?"

Drona replies to Yudhishthira, addressing him as a king: "If, having resolved to fight, you had not sought my blessings in this way, I would have cursed you. However, I am gratified and honored by you, and permit you to fight and obtain victory. For a man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is never one's slave. I have been bound by the wealth of the Kauravas, so like a eunuch I shall fight for the sake of the Kauravas, but will pray for your victory."

Drona is endowed with a divine gift to choose the time of his death. In the subsequent dialogue between Drona and Yudhishthira, the king asks his teacher how one may overcome this advantage, to which Drona cryptically replies that "I will only cast off my arms in battle if I hear something very disturbing from someone of credible speech".

  • paśhyaitāṁ — Look at these

    • paśhya — seeing, beholding

    • itāṁ — this, these

    पश्यैतां

  • pāṇḍu-putrāṇām — Pandavas
    Refers to the Pandavas as "sons of Pandu", with the ṇām suffix expanding the reference to "all who support the Pandava cause".

    • pāṇḍu — Pandu
      Half brother of Dhritarashtra

      पाण्डु

    • putrā — son

      पुत्रा

    • ṇām — to salute, support, raise, elevate

      णा
    पाण्डुपुत्राणामा

  • āchārya — teacher

    चार्य

  • mahatīṁ — mighty

    महतीं

  • chamūm — army
    Camū (चमू) is the general term for an army or military force. In the Ramayana, this word translates closer to "legion" with specific numbers of elephants, chariots, and soldiers

    चमूम्

  • vyūḍhāṁ — arranged in military formation
    From vyūḍha (व्यूढ) - arranged, arrayed, placed in order

    व्यूढां

  • drupada-putreṇa — son of Drupad
    Reference to Dhristadyumna, commander of the Pandava army

    • drupada — Drupad

      द्रुपद

    • putreṇa — by the son

      द्रुपद
    द्रुपदपुत्रेण

  • tava — by your

    तव

  • śhiṣhyeṇa — former disciple
    Śiṣya (शिष्य) is a student or disciple, and eṇa (एण) as a suffix means "at that time"

    शिष्येण

  • dhīmatā — highly intelligent

    • dhī — intelligence, understanding

      धी

    • matā — honored, esteemed

      मत
    धीमता
...1.2

Behold! The mighty Pandava army, marshalled for battle by your own gifted disciple, Dhrishtadyumna.

[3]

They have many powerful warriors like Yuyudhan, Virat, and Drupad, equal to Bhima and Arjun in military prowess.

[4]

They have with them the best of men - Dhristaketu, Chekitan, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Śaibya, and the King of Kashi.

[5]

They have with them the courageous Yudhamanyu, the gallant Uttamauja, the sons of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi - all great warriors.

[6]

1.7...

Similar verses

Chapter 1, Verse 3