Gita 01.
08 – Explanation 2
December 7, 2024|Chapter 01, Chapter 01, Text 08
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.
