:: Chapter 3 :: Karma-Yoga

Text 7

asmakam tu visista ye
tan nibodha dvijottama
nayaka mama sainyasya
samjnartham tan bravimi te

Synonyms

asmakam--our; tu--but; visistah--especially powerful; ye--who; tan--them; nibodha--just take note of, be informed; dvija-uttama--O best of the brahmanas; nayakah--captains; mama--my; sainyasya--of the soldiers; samjna-artham--for information; tan--them; bravimi--I am speaking; te--to you.

Translation

But for your information, O best of the brahmanas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.

Purport

Text 8

bhavan bhismas ca karnas ca
krpas ca samitim-jayah
asvatthama vikarnas ca
saumadattis tathaiva ca

Synonyms

bhavan--your good self; bhismah--Grandfather Bhisma; ca--also; karnah--Karna; ca--and; krpah--Krpa; ca--and; samitim-jayah--always victorious in battle; asvatthama--Asvatthama; vikarnah--Vikarna; ca--as well as; saumadattih--the son of Somadatta; tatha--as well as; eva--certainly; ca--also.

Translation

There are personalities like you, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhurisrava, who are always victorious in battle.

Purport

Duryodhana mentions the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever victorious. Vikarna is the brother of Duryodhana, Asvatthama is the son of Dronacarya, and Saumadatti, or Bhurisrava, is the son of the King of the Bahlikas. Karna is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kunti before her marriage with King Pandu. Krpacarya's twin sister married Dronacarya.

Text 9

anye ca bahavah sura
mad-arthe tyakta-jivitah
nana-sastra-praharanah
sarve yuddha-visaradah

Synonyms

anye--others; ca--also; bahavah--in great numbers; surah--heroes; mat-arthe--for my sake; tyakta-jivitah--prepared to risk life; nana--many; sastra--weapons; praharanah--equipped with; sarve--all of them; yuddha-visaradah--experienced in military science.

Translation

There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

Purport

As far as the others are concerned--like Jayadratha, Krtavarma and Salya--all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana's sake. In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the Battle of Kuruksetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned combined strength of his friends.