Gita 01.07 – Repetition of known information conveys prioritization

 

Audio Link 1: Gita 01.07 – Repetition of known information conveys prioritization – The Spiritual Scientist

 

asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye

tān nibodha dvijottama

nāyakā mama sainyasya

saṁjñārthaṁ tān bravīmi te

 

Word-for-Word :

asmākam — our; tu — but; viśiṣṭāḥ — especially powerful; ye — who; tān — them; nibodha — just take note of, be informed; dvija-uttama — O best of the brāhmaṇas; nāyakāḥ — captains; mama — my; sainyasya — of the soldiers; saṁjñā-artham — for information; tān — them; bravīmi — I am speaking; te — to you.

 

Translation

But for your information, O best of the brāhmaṇas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.

 

Explanation

Duryodhana has completed describing the forces on the opposite side in the previous verse. Leaders must always balance between showing alertness about the danger of the enemy’s attacks and showing fear or inducing fear about the enemy’s power. They do not want their subordinates to be off guard, but they also do not want them to feel fearful and insecure about their own abilities or their party’s capability to defend. Nobody wants to be on the losing side.

 

Duryodhana became a little apprehensive that talking about the forces on the opposite side might convey to his forces that he is insecure and lacks confidence in his own ability or in the ability of his forces to win the war. A diffident leader can sap the morale of a team. Duryodhana is confident he will win the war, but he is impressed, concerned, and somewhat agitated by the formidable nature of the Pandavas’ military formation. To alert his troops, he spoke about their formidable warriors. Now, to reassure his own troops, he realizes he has to express his confidence in them too (asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye). He uses the word “viśiṣṭā (special)” to indicate that there are so many maharathas on his side that he cannot list all their names, so he will mention only the prominent ones.

 

He continues to speak to Drona, as mentioned in Gita 1.02, but his words are heard by those around him and overall that message is being conveyed. Duryodhana is a shrewd politician and understands how people’s minds work. Whatever he says will soon be news heard by everyone on the battlefield, firstly on his side and then on the opponent’s side. If the idea is conveyed that he is feeling apprehensive, unsure, and insecure, it will create uncertainty and insecurity in his followers’ minds, which he does not want. Therefore, by using the word ” asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye,” he reassures his followers that there are so many formidable warriors on his side that he cannot list all their names.

 

He then says, “dvija-uttama (O best of the brahmanas), please know all this.” We may wonder why he refers to Drona as dvija-uttama; after all, he is not exactly the best of brahmanas as he is engaging in martial warfare, which is not typically recommended for brahmanas. Brahmanas practice shama-dama-tapa-saucam (Gita 18.42) and help people spiritually. Dvija-uttama or the best of the brahmanas are supposed to teach spiritual knowledge and wisdom to their followers. Drona, instead, is teaching martial warfare and is now fighting. Later, when Drona is killed on the fifteenth day, Arjuna feels remorseful about the heinous way his guru was killed and Yudhishthira feels compunction for having killed a guru and a brahmana. At that time, Bhima explains that a brahmana does not fight a war, and by fighting, Drona has fallen from a brahmana’s position. Drona’s position was special; normally, brahmanas do not fight but they are allowed to in special situations. Nevertheless, it is not considered desirable or regular, and yet Drona had been doing that regularly. Hence, Drona being addressed as “dvija-uttama” doesn’t necessarily make him so, rather it is a respectful epithet that is used, much like calling someone a gentleman. Not all those referred to as gentlemen always act as such. Duryodhana uses this reference as part of his strategy to win Drona’s favour so that he will fight wholeheartedly.

 

Duryodhana continues by saying, “Although I have a whole army of eleven akshayoni, please hear about this (tān nibodha) as I mention my army’s commanders (nāyakā), who are essential for winning this war.” It is interesting that he says, “This is my army” (mama sainyasya). Although all have assembled to fight on Duryodhana’s side, Bhishma is the army’s commander, yet Duryodhana takes the property to be his own. Duryodhana refers to it as his army because he was actually ruling, even though Dhritarashtra was on the throne, and because Duryodhana was the cause of the war.

 

He further states that for Drona’s information (saṁjñārthaṁ), he will inform him about the formidable warriors capable of winning the war for them. Giving information to someone who already has it subtly communicates prioritization and importance. When a spiritual master gives instructions to his disciples (for example, during initiation, he instructs to follow certain vows), it is not that the disciples have never heard them before, but the repetition of information conveys importance and signals one’s position, prioritization, and conviction. Duryodhana will reveal his mind about his confidence in his warriors and who he considers formidable and how he wants them to fight. The list of names is not new to Drona, but Duryodhana wants to convey his confidence in Drona, considering him also a commander of his army. In case he doesn’t mention Drona, he will mention only the best or especially qualified (viśiṣṭā). We will see in the next verse whose names Duryodhana mentions.