अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम। नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते॥
asmākaṃ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama / nāyakā mama sainyasya saṃjñārthaṃ tān bravīmi te
Having surveyed the enemy, Duryodhana now needs to reassure himself by listing his own assets.
Word by word (10)
- asmākam
- — of us / on our side
- tu
- — but / and
- viśiṣṭāḥ
- — distinguished / most capable
- ye
- — those who
- nibodha
- — know / hear / understand
- dvija-uttama
- — O best of the twice-born (address to Drona, a brahmin) · Drona is both a brahmin (dvija) and a great warrior — a rare combination. Duryodhana flatters him with this address.
- nāyakāḥ
- — leaders / commanders
- mama sainyasya
- — of my army
- saṃjñā-artham
- — for information / for your awareness
- bravīmi te
- — I tell you
Duryodhana now shifts: 'But know also, O greatest of teachers, the leaders of my own army — let me name the most distinguished, so you can see what we have on our side.'
A modern analogy
After surveying the competition, a nervous leader pulls out their own team's roster and begins reading it aloud — as much to steady themselves as to inform the person they're speaking to. 'But we have these people. Let me tell you what we have.'
Take with you
- After honestly assessing an opponent's strength, it is natural to then inventory your own — this balance is wisdom.
- Notice Duryodhana's word 'mama' — 'my' army. The possessive reveals his mindset. It is not 'our cause' but 'my resources.'
- Flattery often accompanies requests — Duryodhana calls Drona 'dvijottama' (best of twice-born) before asking him to listen.
The pivot in verse 7 — from 'their army' to 'my army' — reveals Duryodhana's underlying psychology. He has completed his reconnaissance of the opposition and now turns to self-assessment. But notice what has changed: the Pandava warriors were described in terms of their quality ('equal to Bhima and Arjuna '). Duryodhana now describes his own warriors as 'viśiṣṭāḥ' — distinguished, eminent. He is not making a neutral comparison; he is building a case. The address 'dvijottama' — best of the twice-born — is Duryodhana at his most politically astute. Drona is a brahmin and warrior combined. By calling him 'best of the twice-born,' Duryodhana acknowledges Drona's brahmin identity (not just his warrior function), which is both respectful and a subtle emotional appeal.
Advaita lens
The shift from 'their people' to 'my people' in Duryodhana's speech is precisely what Shankaracharya identifies as the root of all conflict: mamakāra (mine-ness) and ahaṃkāra (I-ness). The ego defines itself through possession and opposition. This is the fundamental ignorance that the Gita will dismantle verse by verse.
Public-domain translations (2) compare all →
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
A blind king asks what happened on the battlefield — and the Gita begins.
If from egotism you think 'I will not fight' — vain is this resolve; Prakṛti will compel you.
Your own mind is your best friend when mastered; your worst enemy when not.
One with no ego-doer-sense, whose buddhi is untainted — even while killing all these beings, kills not, is not bound.
A famously ambiguous verse: Duryodhana either boasts of limitless strength or admits hidden doubt.
Sitting still while the mind craves sense-objects is not discipline — the Gita calls it hypocrisy.