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Bhagavad Gita · 1.3 · Arjuna's Dilemma·3 of 47

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता

paśhyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām āchārya mahatīṁ

chamūm vyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇa tava śhiṣhyeṇa dhīmatā

Sanskrit recitation

The field is set · 1.1–1.27 · Scene

Translation

Behold, O Teacher! This mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, thy wise disciple.

Meaning

Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Droṇācārya, the great brāhmaṇa commander in chief. Droṇācārya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadī, who was Arjuna’s wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya knew this perfectly well, and yet as a liberal brāhmaṇa he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhṛṣṭadyumna took the side of the Pāṇḍavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Droṇācārya. Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Droṇācārya’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 Pāṇḍavas, who were also Droṇācārya’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.

After Swami Sivananda

The field is set· 1.1–1.27

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
tava
by your
etām
this
chamūm
army
paśhya
behold
mahatīm
mighty
āchārya
respected teacher
dhī-matā
intelligent
vyūḍhām
arrayed in a military formation
śhiṣhyeṇa
disciple
drupada-putreṇa
son of Drupad, Dhrishtadyumna
pāṇḍu-putrāṇām
of the sons of Pandu

Related verses

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