Gita 01.17 – Weapons are warrior’s ornaments.

 

Audio link 2- https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-01-17-weapons-are-warriors-ornaments/

 

kāśyaś ca parameṣv-āsaḥ

śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ

dhṛṣṭadyumno virāṭaś ca

sātyakiś cāparājitaḥ 

 

Word-for-word:

kāśyaḥ — the King of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī); ca — and; parama-iṣu-āsaḥ— the great archer; śikhaṇḍī — Śikhaṇḍī; ca — also; mahā-rathaḥ — one who can fight alone against thousands;dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ — Dhṛṣṭadyumna (the son of King Drupada); virāṭaḥ — Virāṭa (the prince who gave shelter to the Pāṇḍavas while they were in disguise); ca — also; sātyakiḥ — Sātyaki (the same as Yuyudhāna, the charioteer of Lord Kṛṣṇa); ca — and; aparājitaḥ — who had never been vanquished.

 

Translation:

That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, the unconquerable Sātyaki, all blew their respective conchshells.

 

Explanation:

The warriors on the side of the Pāṇḍavas are being listed for the second time; although not exactly the same names are repeated, similar ones are mentioned. First, the names were listed when Duryodhana was comparing the relative strengths of the two sides of the army, and now they are listed again as the warriors blow their conches.

 

First, Bhīṣma blew his conchshell, followed by the other Kaurava warriors blowing theirs. Then, from the fourteenth verse onward, the scene shifted to the Pāṇḍava warriors. The fifteenth verse specifically mentioned Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna blowing their conchshells and also included Bhīma, while the sixteenth verse described Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula, and Sahadeva blowing theirs. Now, the other warriors are mentioned.

 

“Kāśyaś ca parameṣv-āsaḥ”— the king of Kāśī, a great archer. In those times, kings of famous kingdoms were often known primarily by their kingdom’s name, with the individual name of the king being subordinate. In some instances, specific names were emphasized, such as Shalya, the king of Madras, but he could also be referred to simply as the Madra king. Similarly, here, instead of providing a specific name, “kāśyaś ca” refers to the king of Kāśī, and his skill is highlighted as being an extremely powerful archer (parameṣv-āsaḥ).

 

The term “parameṣv-āsaḥ” here is not meant as a literal superlative; it doesn’t imply that he was the greatest archer. The greatest archer we know was Arjuna, and there were others like Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, Shalya; and the king of Kāśī was definitely not in their league. However, he was still a formidable warrior in his own right. “Parameṣv-āsaḥ” functions more as a generic superlative rather than a specific one, meaning that compared to the general level of warriors, he was extraordinary. Yet, because the Kurukṣetra war involved an assembly of many extraordinary warriors, he may not have been the “parameṣv-āsaḥ” among them, but he was still remarkable.

 

“Śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ”— Śikhaṇḍī, another son of Drupada, was born as a female named “Śikhaṇḍīni” and was later transformed into a male. He was destined to be the cause of Bhīṣma’s death. In his previous life, he was Amba, who felt wronged by Bhīṣma and sought revenge in this life as Śikhaṇḍī. He, too, blew his conchshell.

 

“Dhṛṣṭadyumno virāṭaś ca”— Dhṛṣṭadyumna was the commander of the Pāṇḍavas’ army, and he is actually the first warrior mentioned on the Pāṇḍavas’ side in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Duryodhana begins speaking, Dhṛṣṭadyumna is the first warrior he refers to, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna is destined to be the cause of Droṇa’s death.

 

“Virāṭaś ca”— Virāṭa was an elderly monarch and a “mahā-rathaḥ.” He was also the commander of one of the divisions of the Pāṇḍavas.

 

“Sātyakiś cāparājitaḥ”— Sātyaki was a disciple of Bhīma and a student of Arjuna. He fought heroically on many occasions, including defeating Duryodhana in an arrow fight on one occasion. He especially assisted Arjuna on the fourteenth day of the battle, when Arjuna penetrated the Kaurava ranks to avenge Abhimanyu’s death by killing Jayadratha.

 

“Cāparājitaḥ” is a compound word; in sandhi-vigraha, it can be separated into two words, and accordingly, the meanings will vary. According to Srila Prabhupada, “cā aparājitaḥ” translates to “undefeatable,” indicating Sātyaki’s formidable reputation as a warrior. In this interpretation, “āparājitaḥ” means undefeatable, emphasizing his strength and prowess.

 

Alternatively, “cāpa rājitaḥ” can be parsed as “rājitaḥ,” meaning decorated, and “cāpa,” referring to a bow. This interpretation suggests that Sātyaki was decorated with a bow.

 

Both interpretations highlight different aspects of Sātyaki’s character: one emphasizing his invincibility and the other focusing on his association with a bow.

 

In different vocations, what is considered decoration can vary. Typically, in a conventional sense, we think of ornaments as decorations, especially when people are dressing for artistic or aesthetic purposes. However, in the context of specialized skills, the tools associated with that expertise can be viewed as decorations.

 

For instance, for a champion batsman, the bat is considered their decoration. Similarly, a champion golfer is associated with a golf club, and a chess grandmaster is seen with a chessboard. In the case of a great warrior, their equipment and weapons are considered their decorations. Thus, for Sātyaki, the bow is his decoration, signifying his expertise and skill as a warrior.

 

In this way, the Pāṇḍava warriors responded to the challenge issued by the Kauravas by blowing their conchshells, reiterating their response with the same act. Each kṣatriya blowing a conchshell symbolized his personality, virility, and vigor to engage in battles of skill and strength, embodying the spirit of ‘let the better man prevail.’

 

They were signaling the start of a competition and confrontation, and by blowing their conchshells, they were celebrating the beginning of this epic battle.

Thank you.