Shrimad Bhagavad Gita 1.10

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।

पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्।।1.10।।

1.10 Yet our army seems the weaker, though commanded by Bheeshma; their army seems the stronger, though commanded by Bheema.

Here Duryodhana seems to be redolent of a passive form. Though, he is au courant with the truth that Acharya Dron, Bheeshma Pitamah, Asvathama are insurmountable, still he feels an inner gloomy regarding the battle. But this is a sympathetic stance to foment the great fighters of his side to consecrate themselves to his side.

 Acharya Drona’s love for Arjun was not a covert a fact, Bheeshma Pitamah and Kripacharya too deemed Pandavas tantamount to Kauravas and hence Duryodhana feared that this bonding was making them enervated. Albeit, they had sworn their allegiance to Duryodhana, still they doted on Pandavas especially on Arjuna.

Hence, Duryodhana ostentatiously uses this shloka so as to take a reaffirmation from all the great combatants on his fight that they would confront the enemy with all their might and would never let their sentiments sneak into the great battlefield of Kurukshetra. Hence he compares the might of Bheeshma to Bhim to prod Bheeshma and Drona into action.

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT 

JAI MA BHARTI