पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम् ।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता ।। 3।।
paśhyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām āchārya mahatīṁ chamūm
vyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇa tava śhiṣhyeṇa dhīmatā
paśhya—behold; etām—this; pāṇḍu-putrāṇām—of the sons of Pandu; āchārya—respected teacher; mahatīm—mighty; chamūm—army; vyūḍhām—arrayed in a military formation; drupada-putreṇa—son of Drupad, Dhrishtadyumna; tava—by your; śhiṣhyeṇa—disciple; dhī-matā—intelligent
Translation:
“O teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pāndu arrayed by your talented disciple, the son of Drupada.”
अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि
युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथ: || 4||
धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितान: काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् |
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गव: || 5||
युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान् |
सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्व एव महारथा: || 6||
atra śhūrā maheṣhvāsā bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi
yuyudhāno virāṭaśhcha drupadaśhcha mahā-rathaḥ
dhṛiṣhṭaketuśhchekitānaḥ kāśhirājaśhcha vīryavān
purujit kuntibhojaśhcha śhaibyaśhcha nara-puṅgavaḥ
yudhāmanyuśhcha vikrānta uttamaujāśhcha vīryavān
saubhadro draupadeyāśhcha sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ
atra—here; śhūrāḥ—powerful warriors; mahā-iṣhu-āsāḥ—great bowmen; bhīma-arjuna-samāḥ—equal to Bheem and Arjun; yudhi—in military prowess; yuyudhānaḥ—Yuyudhan; virāṭaḥ—Virat; cha—and; drupadaḥ—Drupad; cha—also; mahā-rathaḥ—warriors who could single handedly match the strength of ten thousand ordinary warriors; dhṛiṣhṭaketuḥ—Dhrishtaketu; chekitānaḥ—Chekitan; kāśhirājaḥ—Kashiraj; cha—and; vīrya-vān—heroic; purujit—Purujit; kuntibhojaḥ—Kuntibhoj; cha—and; śhaibyaḥ—Shaibya; cha—and; nara-puṅgavaḥ—best of men; yudhāmanyuḥ—Yudhamanyu; cha—and; vikrāntaḥ—courageous; uttamaujāḥ—Uttamauja; cha—and; vīrya-vān—gallant; saubhadraḥ—the son of Subhadra; draupadeyāḥ—the sons of Draupadi; cha—and; sarve—all; eva—indeed; mahā-rathāḥ—warriors who could single handedly match the strength of ten thousand ordinary warriors
Translation:
In that army are mighty archers and heroes, in battle equal to Bhima and Arjuna: Yuyudhāna, Virāta, and Drupada, each a mahāratha;
Heroic Dhrishtaketu, Chekitāna, and the king of Kāśi; Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Śaivya, all the best of men;
Powerful Yudhāmanyu, brave Uttamaujā, Subhadrā’s son, and the sons of Draupadi— all mahārathas indeed.
अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम |
नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते || 7||
asmākaṁ tu viśhiṣhṭā ye tānnibodha dwijottama
nāyakā mama sainyasya sanjñārthaṁ tānbravīmi te
As a diplomat, Duryodhana was exceptionally clever. To excite Dronacharya by rousing his revengeful spirit against Dhrishtadyumna and the Pandavas, Duryodhana referred to Dhrishtadyumna as Drupada’s son and “your talented pupil.” By these words, he reminded Drona of Drupada’s disrespectful behavior towards him in the past and the fact that Drupada had performed a sacrifice with the unholy motive of getting a son who would kill Drona. Duryodhana implied that Dhrishtadyumna was so clever and Drona so simple that, though born to kill Drona, Dhrishtadyumna had still obtained from him teaching in the science and art of archery. He also pointed out how skillful and dexterous Dhrishtadyumna was to array his army in such an impregnable way as to baffle his opponents. It was this person whom the Pandavas had made their Supreme Commander. Duryodhana subtly urged Dronacharya to consider what his line of action should be.
The Kaurava army consisted of eleven Akshauhinis, while the Pandava army had only seven. Though numerically smaller, the Pandava army appeared very formidable because of its deployment in the military array known as “Vajravyuha.” Duryodhana recognized that a smaller army might be more powerful than a larger one if its deployment was better and more efficient. This was why, while calling the Pandava army “a mighty army,” Duryodhana attempted to draw Dronacharya’s attention to it and appealed to him to devise a strategy to counter it.
As Duryodhana surveyed the Pandava army, he carefully noted the key warriors standing ready to fight. In three verses, he listed those who he knew would be formidable opponents.
Duryodhana began by acknowledging the powerful warriors of the Pandava army, each skilled in archery and military tactics. He compared their strength to that of Bhima and Arjuna, the two legendary heroes of the Pandavas. Among these warriors were Satyaki, Virata, and the great Maharathi Drupada. There were also Dhrishtaketu, Cekitana, and the brave King of Kasi. Alongside them were Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya, who was known as “the best of men.” Yudhhamanyu and Uttamauja were also present, both renowned for their strength and bravery. Duryodhana made special mention of Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra, and the five sons of Draupadi, all of whom were counted as great warriors.
The term “Yudhi,” as used in the fourth verse, could not be interpreted as referring to a specific event, as the battle had not yet begun. Instead, it connected with “Bhimasam,” indicating that the warriors listed were as skilled in battle as Bhima and Arjuna. This set the stage for Duryodhana to reveal the history and backgrounds of these warriors.
Yuyudhana, also known as Satyaki, was one of the first warriors Duryodhana mentioned. Satyaki was a devoted disciple of Arjuna and the grandson of Sini, a Yadava Chief. His loyalty to Lord Krishna was well-known, and he was a powerful warrior who could fight many enemies alone. Satyaki survived the Mahabharata War, only to meet his end later in a conflict among the Yadavas. Interestingly, there was another Yadava warrior with the same name, mentioned elsewhere in the Mahabharata.
Next, Duryodhana spoke of Virata, the righteous king of the Matsyas. The Pandavas had spent a year in exile under his protection. Virata’s daughter, Uttara, was married to Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son. Virata and his three sons—Uttara, Sveta, and Sankha—were all killed in the Mahabharata War.
Drupada, the son of King Prishata of the Panchalas, had a complicated history with Drona, the teacher of both the Pandavas and Kauravas. In their youth, Drupada and Drona had been friends, but when Drupada became king, he insulted Drona, leading to a deep conflict between them. Drona later exacted his revenge by having Drupada defeated by Arjuna. Though Drupada pretended to reconcile with Drona, he secretly planned his revenge. Through a ritual performed by sages, Drupada sought to have a son who would kill Drona. This ritual led to the birth of Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi. Draupadi would later marry the Pandavas. Drupada was a great warrior, but his life ended at the hands of Drona during the Mahabharata War.
Dhrishtaketu, another warrior mentioned by Duryodhana, was the son of Shishupala, the King of Chedi. He too fell to Drona’s might in the war.
Cekitana was a Yadava hero from the Vrishni clan. He was one of the seven commanders of the Pandava army and a warrior of great skill. Duryodhana himself killed Cekitana during the Mahabharata War.
The King of Kasi was also a noteworthy warrior, though his name is unclear due to differing accounts in the Mahabharata. He was a great hero and a Maharathi, but he too met his end in the war.
Duryodhana then spoke of Purujit and Kuntibhoja, brothers of Kunti and uncles to Yudhishthira and his brothers. Both were killed by Dronacharya during the war.
Saibya, the father-in-law of King Yudhishthira, was recognized not only as a hero and powerful fighter but also as a man of great character. This earned him the title of “the best of men.”
Yudhhamanyu and Uttamauja, brothers and princes of the Panchala territory, were tasked with protecting the wheels of Arjuna’s chariot during the battle. Both were strong and valiant fighters but were killed by Ashwatthama while they slept.
Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son and the nephew of Krishna, was married to Uttara, Virata’s daughter. Trained in archery by both his father and Krishna’s eldest son, Pradyumna, Abhimanyu was an exceptional fighter. On one fateful day during the Mahabharata War, Abhimanyu broke into the Kaurava army’s complex military formation known as the “Chakravyuha.” Despite his youth, Abhimanyu displayed extraordinary skill and bravery, killing many enemies. However, he was eventually surrounded and killed by six Kaurava warriors, violating the rules of war. Parikshit, who would later become king, was Abhimanyu’s son.
The five sons of Draupadi—Prativindhya, Srutasoma, Srutakarma, Satanika, and Srutasena—were born to Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva respectively. All five were tragically killed by Ashwatthama during the night.
Duryodhana explained that a Maharathi was a great hero, skilled in both the scriptures and the science of warfare, capable of commanding ten thousand bowmen in battle. The warriors he listed were all Maharathis, with distinct skills and prowess.
After describing the key warriors of the Pandava army, Duryodhana turned to the warriors of his own army. He used the word “Tu,” meaning “also,” to indicate that his own forces were not lacking in strength or skill. The term “Vishishta” highlighted those who were superior in heroism, strength, intellect, courage, and knowledge of arms. By saying “Nibodha,” Duryodhana implied that there were many more heroes of exceptional merit in his army, but he was mentioning only a few for Dronacharya’s knowledge.
As Duryodhana listed these warriors, he did so with confidence. He was not a man who suffered from feelings of inferiority. Unlike most, he began his discussion not by criticizing his enemy or praising himself but by acknowledging the strengths of the Pandava warriors. This was a sign of his self-assurance.
In earlier times, both good and bad people existed, just as they do today. However, the difference lies in the confidence of these individuals. Even the best people today often lack inner confidence, while in the past, even the worst individuals had a certain self-assurance. This deep confidence, whether in good or bad actions, shaped how people approached their challenges.
Duryodhana, despite his flaws, began his conversation by recognizing the strengths of his opponents, reflecting his understanding of the situation and his own confidence in facing the Pandavas on the battlefield.