Part 6 -

Being in a position of advantage as the ruler of the kingdom while going to war, effectively using it to garner additional support-forces and as the one who rejected the peace-offer and opted for war to decide the fate, duryodhana (the very name meaning one with whom it is very difficult to fight with), just before the start of the war, had a look at the forces and approached to his teacher droNa for consul. The depiction shows he has become a real duryodhana (one for whom fighting is very difficult – duHkhaM yodhanam asya iti duryodhanaH).

In the next couple of verses duryodhana lists the warriors of his army for the sake of recalling to memory of droNa.

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः।

अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च॥ १।८॥

अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः।

नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः॥ १।९॥

bhavAnbhIShmashcha karNashcha kRRipashcha samiti~njayaH .

ashvatthAmA vikarNashcha saumadattistathaiva cha .. 1.8..

anye cha bahavaH shUrA madarthe tyaktajIvitAH .

nAnAshastrapraharaNAH sarve yuddhavishAradAH .. 1.9..

 
भवान् bhavAn = your honour; भीष्मः bhIShmaH = bhIShma; च cha = and; कर्णः karNaH = karNa; च cha = and; कृपः च समितिञ्जयः kRRipaH cha samiti~njayaH = also kRRipa who always conquers in war(assemblage); अश्वत्थामा ashvatthAmA = ashvatthAmA; विकर्णः vikarNaH = vikarNa; च cha = and;  सौमदत्तिः saumadattiH = son of somadatta (bhUrishravas); तथा एव च tathA eva cha = and similarly; अन्ये च बहवः anye cha bahavaH = also many others; शूराः shUrAH = heroes; मदर्थे त्यक्त-जीविताः madarthe tyakta-jIvitAH = who have given up (determined to give up) their lives for my sake; नाना-शस्त्र-प्रहरणाः nAnA-shastra-praharaNAH = possessing various types of weapons and missiles; सर्वे युद्ध-विशारदाः sarve yuddha-vishAradAH = all are very-adept in warfare

 
Thyself, bhIShma, karNa and kRRipa who is ever victorious in battle, ashvatthAma, vikarNa, bhUrishravas and also many others, who are heroes and have given up their lives for my sake, carrying various weapons and missiles and are very adept in warfare.

 
The enumeration is not as per protocol. karNa had decided not to join the fight as long as the kaurava forces are led by bhIShma. Calling him in the list hints by words anye cha bhahavaH (there are also many others) duryodhana is not restricting the names to those present there in the field ready to fight. The very exaggeration clearly indicates the mental mood of duryodhana.

 
Though all are acknowledged heroes, proved their might in previous wars by countless victories, have at their disposal deadly weapons and missiles and the commander-in-chief bhIShma had a boon of icchhA-mRRityu (to choose his own death at the time he wills), still duryodhana feels they are tyakta-jIvitAH(given up their lives).

 
madarthe-tyakta-jIvitAH – tyakta-jIvitAH can be interpreted variously. The softer one is those who are determined to fight till their last for victory. jIvana can mean wife, son and relatives, riches, etc. and renouncing them all in favour of call-of-duty by a kShatriya is highly commendable. But the word madarthe (for my sake) gives a new twist. All know that dharma is on the side of pANDavas and Lord stands by their side ensuring victory and to join duryodhana’s side in such a situation is suicidal only. Lord will later ascertain that only those kShatriyas who lay their life in battle arising from righteous cause reach heavens. So for the sake of duryodhana they have already given up their lives and they are not going to get even heaven as a reward.

 
An act, by itself, even performed without expectation of personal gains, do not fetch merit unless dedicated to a higher ideal. Nobility of the cause make a sacrifice worth. Of what worth, the countless human sacrifices for the greed of an individual just to return a favour received earlier.

 
Is the strength sufficient. duryodhana takes stock in the next shloka.

 
अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।

पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्॥ १।१०॥

aparyAptaM tadasmAkaM balaM bhIShmAbhirakShitam .

paryAptaM tvidameteShAM balaM bhImAbhirakShitam .. 1.10..

 
अपर्याप्तम् aparyAptam = unlimited/insufficient; तत् tat = that; अस्माकम् बलम् asmAkam balam = our forces; भीष्म-अभिरक्षितम् bhIShma-abhirakShitam = protected by bhIShma; पर्याप्तम् paryAptam = limited/sufficient; तु tu = whereas; इदम् idam = this; एतेषाम् बलम् eteShAm balam = their forces; भीम-अभिरक्षितम् bhIma-abhirakShitam = protected by bhIma.

 
Unlimited/insufficient is our army which is protected by bhIShma whereas limited/sufficient is their army protected by bhImA.

 
The commander-in-chief is the head and the one who protects and controls the forces and guides them. But there can be another person who is not the commander-in-chief but committed to the war and under his control and protection is the entire army.

 
In kaurava side bhIShma was the commander-in-chief and hence protector of the army but he was not in favour of war. But bhImA was always in favour of a war and only controlled himself so far as a submissive brother of yudhiShThira. Now that a war is thrown open officially, he will be the prime factor leading the side of pANDavas from the forefront and under his protection is the entire army.  Hence pANDava forces are described as protected by bhIma though he was not the commander-in-chief and the word ‘tu’ (but) conveys this difference. Or may be duryodhana still fail to recognize kRRiShNa as the Supreme Lord and under his protective cover is pANDava army.

 
bhagavAn-vedavyasaji as a poet wanted to play upon the luxurious possibilities of the pregnant vocabulary and his choice of words amply stand testimony to this. Elsewhere it might not be of any significance but these innocent looking words ‘paryAptam/aparyAptam’ in the given context give totally different meanings.

 
paryAptam could mean both limited and sufficient and aparyAptam could mean unlimited and insufficient. Having an unlimited vast army is preferable but can numbers alone be sufficient to bring in victory, when everyone in the opposition has equal combined strength of arjuna and bhIma and are mahArathis. If sufficient to win, even small is beautiful and pANDava forces stand testimony bringing nightmare to duryodhana.

 
So confused should have been duryodhana or it was pANDava forces which occupied his whole mind that standing amidst his forces and addressing his teacher, he refers to his army with ‘that’ (tat) meaning somewhere distant; and pANDava army as ‘this’ (idam) meaning nearby.

 
duryodhana realizes that but for bhIShma the great veterans of his army on whom he is totally reliant for victory, would not have aligned with his side and hence declares in the next shloka:

 
अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः।

भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि॥ १।११॥

ayaneShu cha sarveShu yathAbhAgamavasthitAH .

bhIShmamevAbhirakShantu bhavantaH sarva eva hi .. 1.11..

 
च cha = and (now listen); सर्वे भवन्तः sarve bhavantaH = all ye (generals); सर्वेषु अयनेषु   sarveShu ayaneShu = everywhere in the battlefield; यथाभागम्-अवस्थिताः एव yathAbhAgam-avasthitAH eva = even while taking your respective position and responsibilities; भीष्मम् एव bhIShmam eva = bhIShma alone; हि hi = indeed (must verily be); अभिरक्षन्तु  abhirakShantu  = protected

 
And now listen all ye generals. Even while taking up your position and responsibilities in the battlefield, remember to protect bhIShma at all places and time.

 
duryodhana cleverly conceals his selfish desire with composed expression to protect bhIShma. bhIShma had committed his life to protect the throne of hastinApura whoever rules it and duryodhana is the prince-heir to the throne. This is the only reason bhIShma prepares himself to fight against pANDavas who are most dear to him and indirectly protecting duryodhana. If all kaurava forces protect bhIShma, the kingdom is ensured for duryodhana.

 
Only a leader leading the forces for a common-good cause without any selfish agenda know the technique - what makes a soldier derive full inspiration to fight as a martyr with commitment. His own conscience weighing him heavily down with guilt, because of the crimes committed by him against pANDavas in the past, duryodhana was unable to keep his spirits high and enthuse his army men.

 
The despondency of arjuna arose from the fear of adharmic acts he would be forced to commit in the name war – before-hand.  But here stand duryodhana who is not afraid of war but pulled down by his past-crimes. Fear to commit sin, afraid to face the consequences of sins committed – that is the difference.

Part 1, Part 5, Part 7 Coming Soon...