📿 Shloka Collection

Drishtva Tu Pandavanikam

Gita 1.2 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1 — Arjuna Vishada Yoga
दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा ।
आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
Drishtva tu Pandavanikam vyudham Duryodhanas tada
Acharyam upasangamya raja vachanam abravit
दृष्ट्वा
having seen
तु
then
पाण्डवानीकम्
the Pandava army
व्यूढम्
arranged in military formation
दुर्योधनः
Duryodhana
तदा
at that time
आचार्यम्
to the teacher (Dronacharya)
उपसङ्गम्य
approaching
राजा
the king (Duryodhana)
वचनम्
words
अब्रवीत्
spoke

Sanjay now begins describing the scene at Kurukshetra. The Pandava army stands in a disciplined battle formation. Duryodhana sees it and feels unsettled. The formation is so well-organized that he walks over to his guru, Dronacharya, to speak with him.

There is something telling in whom Duryodhana chooses to approach. He does not go to Bhishma, the commander of his own army. He goes to Drona, who also happens to be the Pandavas' teacher. Duryodhana wants to remind Drona that his own former students now stand on the other side, weapons raised against him.

A person secure in his own strength does not need to stir up others. Duryodhana's very first act on the battlefield reveals an inner unease that he tries to mask with political maneuvering.

This is only the second shloka, yet it already offers a glimpse into Duryodhana's character. The two armies face each other at Kurukshetra, and war is moments away. Sanjay's narration from here follows the Kaurava side of the field.

In the shlokas that follow, Duryodhana will name the warriors on both sides to Drona. This serves two purposes: rallying his own generals and subtly pressuring his teacher to fight with full intensity.

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