A story moment · grounding in mood · easy to enter
“A battlefield can be won first by how it is described.”
O teacher, look at this great army of the sons of Pandu, arranged in battle formation by your wise disciple, the son of Drupada.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallylook · this · of the sons of Pandu · O teacher · great · army · arrayed in formation · by the son of Drupada · your · by the disciple · wise
Duryodhana points out the Pandava army to Drona and reminds him that the commander is Drona's own clever student.
Duryodhana speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Arjuna Vishada Yoga" (The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair).
Verse 3 sits in Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita — Arjuna Vishada Yoga, "The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
You walk into a tense meeting and someone names the room's strongest rival first. The point is not just information; it is pressure, meant to unsettle the person across the table.
Did you like this verse?
It shows how speech can frame a situation to influence another person's response before action begins.
What this verse means
Duryodhana points out the Pandava army to Drona and reminds him that the commander is Drona's own clever student.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Duryodhana sees the Pandava forces drawn up against him. He turns to Drona and highlights the army's size and the skill of Dhृष्टद्युम्न, Drona's former student, to stir urgency before battle begins.
Why this verse still matters
You walk into a tense meeting and someone names the room's strongest rival first. The point is not just information; it is pressure, meant to unsettle the person across the table.
“Comparison and pressure can be used to shake another person's resolve.”
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), duryodhana (12 verses)