Gita 01.08 – Attachment makes the absent present

 

Audio Link 1: Gita 01.08 – Attachment makes the absent present – The Spiritual Scientist

 

bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca

kṛpaś ca samitiṁ-jayaḥ

aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca

saumadattis tathaiva ca

 

Duryodhana starts speaking about the forces on his side and the dilemma he faces. By far, the most powerful general on his side is Bhishma, who is also the commander of his army. Yet, he is standing right now in front of Drona.

 

While listing out his forces, Duryodhana wonders if he should mention them in a hierarchy, with Bhishma first, as would be appropriate given Bhishma’s seniority and expertise. But with Drona right in front of him, it might seem like a snub to Drona. Hence, he quickly decides to mention Drona’s name first. Bhishma, being a devout and pious Kshatriya, respects brahmanas. Duryodhana reasons that Bhishma will understand that mentioning Drona first is not a statement of Drona’s martial superiority but rather a statement made out of deference to Drona’s higher position in the social hierarchy as a brahmana, hence his address to Drona first as “bhavan”.

 

In Sanskrit, there are different words for referring to the second person. In English, we use “you.” In Sanskrit, “tvam” is a normal conversational second person reference, while “bhavan” is a more respectful form, similar to “tu” or “aap” in Hindi. Hence, Duryodhana addresses Dronacharya respectfully using “bhavan.” He doesn’t want Drona to feel agitated in any way because he has just reminded him about ____ (Drupada-putra/Dhristadyumna instead of Drona???).

 

Duryodhana now starts listing the warriors on his side.  This piece of information is irrelevant to Drona since he knows his own capabilities better than anyone else. Drona has taught many of the great kshatriyas assembled there, making him a powerful person. However, Duryodhana has to be inclusive when listing the warriors and hence mentions “bhavan” (Drona).

 

Although he says, “I am speaking this to inform you” (saṁjñārthaṁ tān bravīmi te), Duryodhana knows that a public conversation is heard by many assembled there, and thus he ensures that it does not appear to others that Drona is being snubbed, hence the address “bhavan”.

 

After Drona, Duryodhana mentions Bhishma (“bhīṣmaś ca”), acknowledging his importance and expertise. Interestingly, the third person he refers to is Karna. In terms of prowess and appropriateness, it makes sense since Karna becomes the third commander of the Kaurava army after the first two commanders fall. Bhishma falls on the tenth day, then Drona falls on the fifteenth day, and Karna commands on the sixteenth and seventeenth days.

 

Although Ashwatthama and Kripa are also very powerful, Duryodhana mentions Karna despite Karna not being present on the battlefield. Just before the war, when the military forces on the two sides were assessed by Bhishma, Karna had boasted that he could destroy the entire Pandava army in a matter of a few days as opposed to Bhishma and Drona who said it would take them a month or so. Bhishma had scoffed at Karna’s false bravado, saying, “Oh, son of a suta! Your strength is only in your words. If words could make things come true, then indeed Duryodhana would be assured of success. But your words have never been translated into actions, for every time that you fought against Partha, you have been bested. You were by no means equal to or superior than Partha, and now that you have lost your Kavach and Kundal, you have become even weaker.”

 

Bhishma’s low opinion of Karna is not because of any agenda or malevolence against Karna, but Bhishma is displeased by Karna’s inflated self-opinion and disturbed that Duryodhana continues his antagonism towards the Pandavas based on his faith in Karna’s abilities. Since Karna’s abilities are not as great as they were claimed, Duryodhana’s faith is bound to be shattered. Bhishma believes that Karna’s boasting and Duryodhana’s belief in these boasts were the main causes for escalated hostilities between the two parties. If Karna had not boasted his abilities, Duryodhana might have settled for a peace pact.

 

Hence, in order to keep the hostilities as low as possible and make a dent in Karna’s and Duryodhana’s overconfidence, Bhishma downplays, downgrades, and downsizes Karna by telling him that he is nowhere near a match for Partha.

 

Karna, angered by Bhishma’s criticism, vows not to fight as long as Bhishma is the commander. He reasons that in a war, no matter which warriors contribute to winning the war, the commander always gets the credit for victory, much like a cricket team’s captain is remembered for leading the team to win. Karna did not want Bhishma to receive credit and hence refuses to fight as long as Bhishma is the commander. Saying this, Karna walks away in a huff. 

 

Duryodhana is bemused and befuddled but quickly calculates the situation. He fully trusts Karna’s loyalty and understands Karna’s hurt pride. Though he doesn’t want Karna off the battlefield even for a moment, he knows that Karna will not switch loyalties to the Pandavas. Karna will wait in the wings and later join the battle.

 

On the other hand, Duryodhana realizes that if he chooses Karna over Bhishma, Bhishma, who already has affection for the Pandavas, might join their side, which would be a significant loss. Therefore, he decides to navigate the situation carefully to retain both warriors’ support. Duryodhana, though valuing Karna’s loyalty, chooses to keep Bhishma as the commander to avoid losing him to the Pandavas’ side.

 

Karna is not on the battlefield due to the above-mentioned circumstance. However, because of his close friendship with Duryodhana and because of Duryodhana’s confidence that Karna would kill Partha, Karna was never far from Duryodhana’s mind. That’s why Duryodhana mentions Karna’s name (karṇaś ca).

 

Karna may not be physically present on the battlefield (he is in the tent in the background), but he is very much in Duryodhana’s thoughts. Therefore, while counting his formidable commanders, Duryodhana mentions, “Oh, he is also a formidable commander in our army. He may not be here presently, but he is on our side.”

 

Kripa is mentioned next as “samitiṁ-jayaḥ,” meaning always victorious. He was blessed similar to Bhishma and could not be killed. Before the war, Yudhishthira seeks blessings from the Kuru elders and asks them since they are all invincible, how they could be felled.  At that time, Kripa enigmatically replies, “I cannot be killed. Knowing this, O Yudhishthira, go forth and attain victory.” This implies that while Kripa could not be killed, yet due to his not possessing any celestial weapons, he would not significantly hinder the Pandavas’ victory. That’s why he makes this enigmatic statement, “I cannot be killed, go ahead and win the war now.” Samitiṁ-jayaḥ could just be a general honorific term used to refer to the kshatriyas or it can point to the fact that he is victorious over mortality and will not be killed in the war.

 

Ashwatthama, Drona’s son, is also mentioned. Trained by his father in all warfare tactics and possessing several special weapons, including the Narayana-astra, Brahmastra, the Agni-astra, he fights fiercely during the battle. He attempts to avenge Drona’s death by using formidable weapons like the Narayana-astra against the Pandavas.

 

When the Pandavas see the enormously powerful and irresistible force of the Narayana-astra, they have no choice but to raise their hands, bow to the weapon, and lie down on the ground. The astra had the unique property that if anyone opposed it, its force would double. No matter how strong a person or their counterattack, the astra would remain more powerful. This meant that any defensive measures would ultimately fail, and the defender would be destroyed.

 

The only way one could avoid this was to bow down and let the weapon pass overhead without harming anyone. Krishna advises the Pandavas to do this, ensuring their safety from the astra’s devastating power.

 

Ashwatthama is punished towards the end of the Vana Parva. His hands are tied with ropes, and he is dragged before Yudhishthira, who initially wants to forgive him. However, at Krishna’s behest, Arjuna decides to cut off Ashwatthama’s jewel and the top hair on the head. Thus, being devoid of his power and mysticism, Ashwatthama is cursed to wander in the forest for thousands of years.

 

Interestingly, Duryodhana next mentions Vikarna (vikarṇaś ca), one of his brothers, rather than Dushyasana, who exhibited more heroism in the Mahabharata war than Vikarna. But again, this is a game of establishing connections, preserving reputations, and ensuring commitments. Duryodhana never doubts the commitment of Dushyasana, but Vikarna’s faithfulness is suspect because Vikarna had opposed Draupadi’s disrobing. By mentioning Vikarna’s name in the same league as the foremost warriors among the Kauravas, Duryodhana hopes to seal Vikarna’s commitment and encourage his loyalty.

 

Saumadatti: Son of Saumadatta who was a powerful king.

 

Bhurishrava, a formidable warrior who defeats Satyaki and is about to kill him when Arjuna intervenes, cutting off his hand. Bhurishrava then enters into a mystic trance and departs, blessed by both Krishna and Arjuna for eternal bliss. Due to family affiliations, he fought for the Kauravas, and Duryodhana mentions him because he is a formidable warrior.

 

The scriptures don’t always have the same recensions, meaning there can be small variations in how certain words are written. Sometimes, “tathaiva” is replaced with “sandhaiva,” referring to Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu.

 

Jayadratha’s name doesn’t appear anywhere in the first chapter. It is only mentioned in the eleventh chapter when Krishna assures Arjuna that Jayadratha will also be killed. However, this could be a hidden reference to Jayadratha.

 

The word “ca” can also refer to others. This list is not exhaustive but representative or indicative, aimed at reassuring his own forces that they also have big commanders, not just the enemy.

 

This reassurance is for the general forces, and for his commanders, he wants to show that he values all of them. For those not named, he will refer to them in a general sense in the next verse.

 

Let’s discuss that in our next talk.