Gita: Ch-1. Slo-3.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-1. ( Arjuna-vishadha-yogam )


Slokam -3. ( O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada.:





pasyaitam    pandu-putranam    acarya    mahatim    camum,



vyudham    drupada-putrena    tava     sishyena     dhimata.




acarya!   =   hey Acarya! ( Master ),

dhimata   tava   sishyena    =    your disciple,

Drupada-putrena    =    Dhrashtadyuman son of king Drupatan,

vyuddam    =   has done the formation of,

Pandu-putranam    =    Pandavas,

etam   mahatim   camum   pasya    =    great army, please see.




Duryodhanan  shows the Pandava army to Dronacharya! What a fool! We can hear his grumbling still. His own intentions and wrong doings made this unnecessary war, which made him restless and worried, about the final result before the start itself.



Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Dronacharya, the great brahmana commander-in-chief. Dronacharya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, who is Pandava's wife( known as Panchali). As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice ( yaga), by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Dronacharya. Dronacharya knew this perfectly well, and yet, as a liberal brahmana, he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhrshtadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, Dhrshtadyumna took the side of the Pandavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Dronacharya. Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Dronacharya's so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pandavas, who were also Dronacharya's affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency in the fight would lead to defeat.



These very words, O respected preceptor, please behold are understood to introduce this theme up until verse twelve. O respected preceptor, please behold the Pandava army consisting of seven aksauhini's arrayed and displayed in battle formation by Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Draupada.



Duryodhana is thinking that Drona might decline to fight in the battle, out of affection for the Pandavas who had been his best disciples. So trying to create some anger in Drona towards them, Duryodhana sneered and exclaimed pasyaitam: Behold these! Implying that the Pandavas are despicable because they are blatantly disrespecting the acarya by choosing to fight against their own preceptor.



Then to incite Drona further Duryodhana says that the military formation of the Pandava army has been arrayed by another one of his disciples, the intelligent son of Drupada. Duryodhana could have called the son of Drupada by his name Dhristadyumna; but he purposely used drupada-putra because it would remind Drona of his bitter enemy, King Drupada, who performed a sacrifice specifically to get a son who would be the slayer of Drona. This son was Dhristayumna.



Duryodhana is calling Dristadyumna intelligent because he had learned the science of warfare from the very person he was born to kill. Futhermore Duryodhana is implying that it was imprudent of Drona to teach the science of archery to the very person who was destined to kill him and who was known to be his enemy. Duryodhana's intention in expressing these things is that it is because of Drona's indifference to things he was aware of and in educating the enemy anyway will be the cause of all the problems they will face in the battle.


Duryodhana in order to kindle some anger in the heart of his preceptor Drona, speaks about the excellence of the Pandava army cynically using the words: Behold the mighty army of the Pandavas well arranged in military phalanx. Here Duryodhana is conveying to Drona that the Pandavas have come prepared to engage in battle. Duryodhana wants to further incite Drona against the Pandavas by the use of the word Behold implying that with unmitigated arrogance the Pandavas are fast approaching without waiting for us to start who are depending upon Drona himself. If Drona then puts forth that the Pandavas are his pupils as well and due to Yudhisthira being elder have the right to start before you if they so desire. But Duryodhana anticipating that response, overtly mentions Dhritadyumna the commander of the Pandava army by calling him the son of Drupada, to remind Drona of his being the son of his mortal enemy, so there should be no compassion for them. If Drona then argues that one should not fight with the son of an enemy who is commander of an opposing army, Duryodhana by also referring to Dhritadyumna as Dronas disciple neutralises that argument by the offence incurred of his in choosing to fight against a preceptor a condemned action so there is no doubt as to motivation. Duryodhana by also calling Dhristadyumna intelligent suggests that everything as a pupil he learned from Drona would now be used against him so there should be no hesitation or neglect towards him as he has made up his mind to take Dronas life.




What Sanjaya is subtlety conveying to Dhritarastra is that his son, King Duryodhana uninfluenced by the sanctity Kuruksetra possesses no inclination for righteousness. A serpent even though fed with milk does give up its venom; on the contrary it increases its poison and anger. So also the same regarding your son, you should not worry that he will ever return to the kingdom to the Pandavas for he definitely will not.


To be continued .....