Mighty Warriors on Both Sides of Kurukshetra

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Bhagavad-gītā 1.6–7 — July 11, 1973, London 730711BG-LONDON [17:11 Minutes] Bg-01.06–07_730711BG-LONDON Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms to Bg. 1.6] yudhāmanyuḥ—Yudhāmanyu; ca—and; vikrāntaḥ—mighty; uttamaujāḥ—Uttamaujā; ca—and; vīryavān—very powerful; saubhadraḥ—the son of Subhadrā; draupadeyāḥ—the sons of Draupadī; ca—and; sarve—all; eva—certainly; mahā-rathāḥ—great chariot fighters. [00:50] Translation: "There are the mighty Yudhāmanyu, the very powerful Uttamaujā, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī. All these warriors are great chariot fighters. [leads chanting of synonyms to Bg. 1.7] asmākam—our; tu—but; viśiṣṭāḥ—especially powerful; ye—those; tān—them; nibodha—just take note, be informed; dvijottama—the best of the brāhmaṇas; nāyakāḥ—captains; mama—my; sainyasya—of the soldiers; saṁjñā-artham—for information; tān—them; bravīmi—I am speaking; te—your.

[01:58] Translation: "O best of the brāhmaṇas, for your information, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force." Prabhupāda: So formerly, five thousand years ago, the same system, military—ordinary soldiers, then the captain, then the commander, the commander-in-chief—as there are gradation in the modern age, the same thing was there. But mahā-ratha, they had good qualification. Mahā-ratha means alone he could fight with many other charioteers. They are called ati-ratha, mahā-ratha.

There are different grades of fighters. So, so far Pāṇḍavas are concerned, their son... Saubhadra... Saubhadra means Abhimanyu, Subhadrā's son. Because he was Subhadrā's son, his name was Saubhadra.

Draupadī's son, they are called Draupadeya. In Sanskrit, just like bhaginī, sister, bhaginī, her son is called bhāgineya, nephews. So there is link. As soon as we speak Saubhadra, that means Subhadrā's son.

Subhadrā's son, he was only sixteen years old at that time. He was married with Uttarā, the daughter of Mahārāja Virāṭa. So they were all mahā-rathas, ordinary..., not ordinary fighters. This Abhimanyu was killed by conspiracy by seven commander-in-chief.

Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Droṇācārya, Aśvatthāmā, they all surrounded him, and they did not allow him to come out. They were very experienced commanders. So this is kṣatriya spirit. He was simply a boy, sixteen years old, and he had to be killed by the combined efforts of very, very big commander-in-chiefs. He was so great fighter, Abhimanyu.

Abhimanyu-bāha[?]. So Saubhadra, Draupadī... Similarly, Draupadī's sons also there. Sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ [Bg. 1.6].

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