भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जय: |
अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च || 8||
अन्ये च बहव: शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविता: |
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणा: सर्वे युद्धविशारदा: || 9||
bhavānbhīṣhmaśhcha karṇaśhcha kṛipaśhcha samitiñjayaḥ
aśhvatthāmā vikarṇaśhcha saumadattis tathaiva cha
anye cha bahavaḥ śhūrā madarthe tyaktajīvitāḥ
nānā-śhastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha-viśhāradāḥ
bhavān—yourself; bhīṣhmaḥ—Bheeshma; cha—and; karṇaḥ—Karna; cha—and; kṛipaḥ—Kripa; cha—and; samitim-jayaḥ—victorious in battle; aśhvatthāmā—Ashvatthama; vikarṇaḥ—Vikarna; cha—and; saumadattiḥ—Bhurishrava; tathā—thus; eva—even; cha—also; anye—others; cha—also; bahavaḥ—many; śhūrāḥ—heroic warriors; mat-arthe—for my sake; tyakta-jīvitāḥ—prepared to lay down their lives; nānā-śhastra-praharaṇāḥ—equipped with various kinds of weapons; sarve—all; yuddha-viśhāradāḥ—skilled in the art of warfare
Translation:
Yourself and Bhishma and Karna; Kripa, who is ever victorious in war; Aśvatthāmā, Vikarna, Jayadratha, and Somadatta’s son;
And many other heroes besides, armed with many weapons, each well skilled in battle, and all resolved to lay down their lives to serve my cause.
Duryodhana begins by naming the principal warriors on his side, starting with his teacher, Acharya Drona. Drona was the son of Maharshi Bharadvaja and a master of all weapons and their secrets, which he learned from Maharshi Agnivesya and Parashurama. He was a highly skilled and knowledgeable warrior, well-versed in the Vedas and Vedangas. Drona’s prowess in archery and other forms of warfare made him a formidable opponent. He was also known for his expertise in using powerful weapons like the Brahmastra and Agneyastra.
Drona’s personal life was marked by his marriage to Kripi, the daughter of Maharshi Sharadvana, and the birth of their son, Ashwatthama. In his early days, Drona was a close friend of King Drupada. However, when Drona sought Drupada’s friendship after Drupada became king, Drupada insulted him, saying that a king could not be friends with a poor man like Drona. This insult deeply hurt Drona, leading him to leave and settle in Hastinapura, where he lived with his brother-in-law, Kripacharya.
At Hastinapura, Drona met Bhishma, who appointed him as the teacher of the Kaurava and Pandava princes. After their training, Drona asked his students to capture Drupada as a fee. Arjuna, Drona’s favorite student, succeeded in capturing Drupada and bringing him before Drona. Although Drona released Drupada, he took a portion of Drupada’s kingdom as punishment.
In the Mahabharata War, Drona served as the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava forces for five days, fighting fiercely. However, upon hearing a false report about the death of his son, Drona gave up his weapons and entered deep meditation. While in meditation, his soul left his body, illuminating the sky, and at that moment, Dhrishtadyumna killed him.
Duryodhana mentions Drona first among the warriors to honor him and encourage him to fight with all his strength, as Drona was not only a key figure in the battle but also Duryodhana’s respected teacher.
Next, Duryodhana mentions Bhishma, the eldest son of King Shantanu. Bhishma, originally named Devavrata, was born from the spirit of the river Ganga and was an incarnation of the celestial named Dyu. He took a vow of lifelong celibacy and renounced his claim to the throne to help his father marry Satyavati. This vow earned him the name Bhishma, meaning “the one who takes terrible vows.”
Bhishma’s father, Shantanu, was so pleased with Bhishma’s sacrifice that he granted him the boon to choose the time of his death. Bhishma was a master of the scriptures and warfare, known for his great knowledge and strength. He was also known for his virtues, including valor, renunciation, forgiveness, compassion, self-control, truthfulness, and devotion to his parents and teachers.
In the Mahabharata War, Bhishma promised Duryodhana that he would not kill the Pandavas but would kill ten thousand warriors each day. He fought as the chief commander of the Kaurava army for ten days. After being severely wounded, he lay on a bed of arrows and shared his vast knowledge with those around him before choosing to leave his body when the sun began its northern journey.
Karna, another warrior mentioned by Duryodhana, was the son of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. Karna was born before Kunti’s marriage when she invoked the Sun-god. After his birth, Kunti placed him in a box and set it afloat on a river, where it was found by Adhiratha, a charioteer. Adhiratha and his wife, Radha, raised Karna as their own son, naming him Vasusena.
Karna received training in weapons from Drona and Parashurama and became an expert in the scriptures and the science of warfare. He was equal to Arjuna in skill and was crowned king of Anga by Duryodhana, who became his close friend. Karna’s loyalty to Duryodhana was unwavering, even when approached by Kunti and Krishna, who tried to persuade him to join the Pandavas.
Karna was known for his generosity and devotion to the Sun-god. One day, Indra, the king of the gods, disguised himself as a Brahmana and asked Karna for his natural armor and earrings. Karna gladly gave them to Indra, who, in return, gave him a powerful weapon that Karna later used to kill Bhima’s son, Ghatotkacha.
After Drona’s death, Karna became the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army and fought for two days before being killed by Arjuna.
Kripacharya, the son of Maharshi Sharadvana, was also a skilled warrior mentioned by Duryodhana. He was an expert in archery and was raised by King Shantanu along with his sister Kripi. Kripacharya was known for his virtue and was a great teacher who imparted knowledge of archery to the Kaurava, Pandava, and Yadava princes. He survived the war and later taught the science of weapons to King Parikshit.
Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, was a great warrior and expert in military science. He was also believed to be still alive.
Vikarna, one of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, was known for his virtue and bravery. He was the only one who spoke out against the injustice done to Draupadi in the Kaurava court, declaring that she had not been won in the game of dice.
Bhurishrava, the son of Somadatta and grandson of Shantanu’s elder brother Bahlika, was another great warrior mentioned by Duryodhana. Bhurishrava was known for his virtue, expertise in warfare, and performance of many sacrifices. He was killed by Satyaki in the Mahabharata War.
In verse 9 , Duryodhana acknowledges the presence of many other brave warriors on his side. He mentions Shalya, Bahlika, Bhagadatta, Kritavarma, Jayadratha, and other powerful fighters. These warriors were skilled in various types of warfare and equipped with different weapons and missiles.
Duryodhana wanted to assure his teacher, Acharya Drona, that these warriors would fight for victory with all their might until their last breath. He emphasized that the names he had mentioned earlier were not the only heroes on his side; there were many others who were equally skilled and dedicated to fighting for his cause.
These warriors were ready to sacrifice their lives to ensure Duryodhana’s victory, showing their loyalty and commitment to his side in the great battle of Kurukshetra.