Gita 01.08 – We need to be calm-headed, not cold-blooded

 

Audio Link 2:  Gita 01.08 We need to be calm-headed, not cold-blooded – The Spiritual Scientist

 

bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca

kṛpaś ca samitiṁ-jayaḥ

aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca

saumadattis tathaiva ca

 

Word for word

 

bhavān — your good self; bhīṣmaḥ — Grandfather Bhīṣma; ca — also; karṇaḥ — Karṇa; ca — and; kṛpaḥ — Kṛpa; ca — and; samitim-jayaḥ — always victorious in battle; aśvatthāmā — Aśvatthāmā; vikarṇaḥ — Vikarṇa; ca — as well as; saumadattiḥ — the son of Somadatta; tathā — as well as; eva — certainly; ca — also.

 

Translation

 

There are personalities like you, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa and the son of Somadatta called Bhūriśravā, who are always victorious in battle.

 

Explanation

 

Duryodhana continues speaking to Dronacharya, within earshot of various other warriors on his side. In the previous verse, he mentioned that he would list the prominent warriors on the Kauravas’ side, and now he begins listing them. He begins with “bhavan,” a respectful second-person address meaning “you,” directed at Drona. “O Drona, you are a prominent warrior on my side.” He then lists Bhishma, Karna, Kripa (who is always victorious), Ashwatthama, Vikarna, and Saumadatti.

 

The sequence of names is significant. Although Bhishma is the commander, Duryodhana mentions Drona first. There are multiple reasons for this. Firstly, he is directly speaking to Drona and wants to give him due respect. Also, as a brahmana, Drona is socially considered higher than kshatriyas like Bhishma. Bhishma, who respects Brahmanas, would not object to Drona being mentioned first. Furthermore, the whole context of Duryodhana’s conversation is to incite Drona to fight against the Pandavas and inspire him to passionately fight for the Kauravas. By addressing Drona first as his foremost warrior and thus highlighting his importance, Duryodhana aims to induce a sense of loyalty in him, by which Drona will fight wholeheartedly.

 

Duryodhana employs both subtle and not so subtle strategies to ensure his supporters fight wholeheartedly for him. He acts with a calm and calculated mind, always seeking to extract maximum benefit for himself in any situation. While his mind is not calm in a serene sense, he is agitated by greed and envy, making him cold-blooded rather than hot-headed.

 

A hot-headed person is impulsive, gets a hot rush of blood and acts on uncontrolled anger, often without clear or long-term thinking. Such a person gets carried away by the emotions and acts impulsively. In contrast, Duryodhana’s actions are not hot-headed, but cold-blooded.  Such a person is unfeeling, desensitized, and calculative, focusing solely on his personal gains without considering the impact on others. He doesn’t think about how his actions hurt his opponents or emotionally affect others.

 

Hence, it is important to balance purposefulness with sensitivity. It is crucial to proceed purposefully in life, recognizing and doing what is necessary to fulfil our goals, but without becoming cold-blooded. We all have our purpose to fulfil in life, and while we must be determined to achieve them, losing our empathy and becoming cold-blooded can cost us significant long-term gains and losing precious opportunities for our inner growth and outer contribution. Spiritual growth requires some detachment, but never cold-bloodedness. We must remain positive.

 

Another significant aspect is that Duryodhana mentions Karna third. This is interesting because Karna will become the third commander of Duryodhana’s army. Despite Karna’s absence from the battlefield due to a fallout with Bhishma, Duryodhana considers him to be a core member of his team. Duryodhana knows that Karna, even when not actively participating, shares his antipathy toward the Pandavas, particularly Arjuna. By mentioning Karna, Duryodhana bolsters him: “Karna, although you are not here, I remember you and count you as one of my foremost allies.” This ensures that when Karna eventually joins the fight, he will do so with full vigour, knowing that Duryodhana counts on him.

 

Kripa had a benediction by which he would never be defeated (samitiṁ-jayaḥ). Again, Ashwatthama is the son of Drona.

 

It’s interesting that Duryodhana’s brother Dushasana, who is the foremost of the Kauravas after Duryodhana, is not mentioned here despite his many feats of prowess in battle on many occasions. This omission is significant because Duryodhana does not suspect Dushasana’s loyalty and thus feels no need to mention him. In contrast, Vikarna, who had previously spoken out against the disrobing of Draupadi, is specifically mentioned here. Duryodhana has some suspicion about Vikarna’s loyalty and mentions him to seal his loyalty for him. This reveals Duryodhana’s calculative mind regarding his foremost warriors.