Shrimad Bhagavad Gita 1.4

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि।

युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः।।1.4।।

1.4            There (in that army) are heroes, great bowmen, like Bhima and Arjuna; Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada a mighty warrior.

In this shloka, Duryodhana proceeds with his confabulation with Acharya Dron. After reminding him of the purpose of birth of Drupada’s son, he goes ahead to take a panoramic view of the battlefield where stood the great kings and fighters.

He lauds Pandava’s army for its replenishment with chivalrous fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada and says that Pandava’s army is replete with soldiers of comparable might to Bhima and Arjuna.

Duryodhana has always been depicted as a vicious person in all the Bhagwat Geeta’s commentaries, movies, plays etc., but here we get to see that indeed Duryodhana was prudent fighter. Notwithstanding having the greatest soldiers of Kuru clan on his side, he is still wary of the powers of the nemesis’ side. Contrary to famous belief that he was a supercilious person, the truest of the true Bhagwat Geeta allocates us with veritable persona of Duryodhana. He is indeed an adept fighter, shrewd policy maker and a sly politician. And hence, in the initial stages of the war, he take a dekko at the opposing side, to kill two birds with one stone. On one hand, he is having a lucid look of the greatness of his enemy side and on the other hand he also mentions Drupada, to incite Acharya Dron through one more piercing “emotional assault.”

JAI HIND, JAI BHARAT 

JAI MA BHARTI