Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter1

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7. asmaakam thu viSishta ye thaan niboDha dhvijotthama

naayakaa mama sainyasya sajnaarTham thaan braveemi the

 

Oh best among Brahmins! Now know those who are important on our side, the commanders of my army. I shall name them to refresh your memory.

 

Duryodhana now tells Drona about the heroes on his side. Though Drona must have known them already Duryodhana says he mentions them for refreshing his memory, sajnaarTham. It is actually to reassure himself, after seeing the army of Pandavas.

 

Asmaakam thu visishtaa ye- who are all eminent among us. The particle `thu' is used in the sense among us also ,asmaakam thu. He wanted to emphasise that even in his army there are great warriors.

 

Thaan niboDha- know them from me.

 

Dhvijotthama- best among Brahmins referring to Drona out of respect for the acharya.

 

Naayakaah-commanders

 

Mama sainyasya -of my army

 

Thaan braveemi- I am mentioning them

 

sajnaarTham the- for your attention.

 

8. bhavaan bheeshmaScha karnaScha krpaScha samithinjayaH

aSvatthaamaa vikarNaScha soumadhatthiH thThaiva cha

 

You, Bheeshma, Karna, Krpa, who always wins in battle, Asvatthaamaa, VikarNa and the son of Somadhattha.

 

Duryodhana mentions the name of Drona first to show respect and to please him.

 

Bheeshma the great grandfather of Pandavas and Kouravas, who was called Bheeshma because of his formidable vow that he would not ascend the throne and would forever serve the throne of Hasthinapura, though he was the crown prince of king Santhanu , in order to fulfil the wish of the father of sathyavathi whom Santhanu wanted to marry. The Pandavas and Kouravas were the descendents of Santhanu and Sathyavathi.

 

Karna- though he was the son of Kunthi, he was abandoned by her for fear of ridicule from the society since she had him by the grace of the Sun, playfully using the manthra the sage Durvasa instructed her when she was a young girl. The charioteer of Dhrtharashtra found him and Karna came to be known as his son. He learnt the skill of archery from Parasurama and seeing his valour Duryodhana made him his close friend, to use him against Pandavas. Karna, though he came to know later about his true identity remained at the side of Duryodhana out of loyalty.

 

Krpa- Brother in law of Drona, patronized by king Santhanu. He was the former acharya of the princes before Drona and taught them archery and other skills for the battle.

 

ASvatthaama- the son of Drona, a great waarior and student of his father.

 

Vikarna- one of the 100 sons of Dhrtharashtra and the only son who followed Dharma.

 

Soumadhatthi- son of Somadhattha , named BhooriSravas also a great warrior.