Chapter 1Lamenting the Consequence of WarVerse 6

Chapters

Sanskrit Vocal

Transliteration

Anvaya

Translation



Audio
Hindi
Bengali
English
Dutch
German
Greek
Chinese
Japanese
French
Spanish
Italian
Portuguese
Hebrew
Arabic
Serbian
Russian


Commentaries of the Four Authorized Vaisnava Sampradayas

as confirmed in the Garga Samhita Canto 10, Chapter 61, Verses 23, 24, 25, 26
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

Here means here in this army are those weapons by which arrows are discharged. Those weapons are called bows. Those who are wielders of mighty bows are known as mighty-bowed. Bhima and Arjuna are two exceptionally famous warriors. There are other heroes equally famous in the Pandava army. They are being mentioned from verse 4 to verse 6. They are all maha- ratha's. A maha-ratha is a warrior so perfected in the science of weaponry that he can fight alone against 11,000 bowmen all at the same time and not be defeated. An ati-ratha is so expert that he can fight alone against many innumerable bowmen at the same time and not be defeated. A rathi is he who can fight against one bowman at the same time and not be defeated and he who cannot fight successfully against even one bowman is called a half- rathi.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.

The attribute vikrantah meaning valiant is given to Yudhamanyu and again the attribute viryavan which is heroic is given to Uttamauja. Saubhadrah is Abhimanyu the son of Subhadra who is the wife of Arjuna. Draupadeyah are the five sons of Draupadi who are: Pratibindha, Srutasena, Srntakirti, Satanika and Srutavarma and by the use of the word ca it refers to Bhima's son Ghatatkaca and others.

As for the Pandavas themselves Duryodhana did not mention them at all as their name and fame was known by everybody. The names of these 17 heroes mentioned and all those in favor of the Pandavas are all maha-rathas. By the use of the word sarve meaning all, Duryodhana instigates and agitates the fighting mood of Drona, by adding even those warriors who are atirathas and placed them in the class of maha-rathas as well.

The defintion of maha-ratha is he who can fight against 10,000 bowmen all at the same time and not be defeated and is a master in the science of warfare and the use of all weapons. An ati-ratha is a hero who can fight against innumerable bowmen but less than 10,000 at the same time and remain undefeated. A yoddha-ratha is the hero who can fight against one bowmen at a time and remain undefeated and one who cannot even fight against one bowman successfully is called an arddha-ratha.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Ramanuja
There is no commentary for this verse.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

The adjective vikranta meaning valiant qualifies Yudhamanyu and the adjective viryavan meaning very powerful qualifies Uttamauja. Saubhadra refers to Abhimanyu the son of Saubhadra by Arjuna. Draupadeya refers to the five sons of Draupadi being Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Srutakirti, Sutanika and Srutasena. The particle ca refers to Ghatotkaca the son of Hidimba by Bhima. All these are also certainly maharathas. Arjuna and his brothers are not mentioned because it is well known by all that they are all unrivalled maharathas. The characteristics of a maharatha are that he can fight single-handedly against 10,000 bow weilding archers and is expert in the science and practice of warfare. An atiratha can fight with innumerable warriors up to 10,000. A ratha can fight alone against one opponent and a ardharatha cannot defeat even a single opponent.

Thus ends commentaries of chapter 1, verse 6 of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

Verse 6


Copyright © Bhagavad-Gita Trust 1998-2015