Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 1, Verse 3
पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता।।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता।।
paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām ācārya mahatīṁ camūm
vyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā
also searched as "pashyaitam panduputranam acharya mahatim chamum"
Translation
Behold, O teacher, this mighty army of the Pandavas, arrayed by the son of Drupada, your intelligent disciple.
Vāṇi's rendering
Look at this great Pandava army, teacher — arranged by Drupada's son, your own gifted student.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पश्यpaśya | look, behold |
| एताम्etām | this (joined to paśya by sandhi: paśya + etām) |
| पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्pāṇḍu-putrāṇām | of Pandu's sons |
| आचार्यācārya | O teacher |
| महतीम्mahatīm | great, mighty |
| चमूम्camūm | army, battle formation |
| व्यूढाम्vyūḍhām | arrayed, drawn up in order |
| द्रुपदपुत्रेणdrupada-putreṇa | by Drupada's son (Dhrishtadyumna) |
| तवtava | your |
| शिष्येणśiṣyeṇa | by the student |
| धीमताdhīmatā | gifted, sharp of mind |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 3 mean?
Duryodhana calls Drona over and shows him the Pāṇḍava army — arrayed, he points out, by Drupada's son, Drona's own brilliant student. The information is unnecessary; Drona can see the field. What is being delivered is a reproach dressed as a report, and beneath the reproach, a prince who is frightened and cannot say so.
What does pashyaitam pandu putranam acharya mean?
"Look at this great Pāṇḍava army, teacher." Duryodhana addresses Drona as ācārya, the word for one who teaches by living the teaching. Then he uses that word as leverage — reminding Drona that the enemy's formation was designed by a mind Drona himself trained. Respect and accusation in a single breath.
Why does Duryodhana speak to Drona instead of to Bhishma?
Bhishma cannot be moved by guilt; Drona can. Duryodhana goes to the one whose loyalty he suspects and applies pressure where it will register. It is the instinct of a man who trusts no one — and it is why Bhishma, watching, will blow the conch a few verses later to steady him.
What can I learn from this verse in daily life?
Watch for the compliment with a hook in it. When anxiety has no honest outlet, it travels through remarks about other people — their students, their choices, their failures. Duryodhana never once says he is afraid. He does not have to. Learn to hear that unspoken sentence, first in others, then in yourself.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
View on the App Store
Commentary
Duryodhana's first words in the Gītā are a needle. He walks to his teacher, points at the enemy formation, and makes sure Drona knows who drew it up. Your student. You taught him. The compliment is the wound. A man about to fight the largest war of his age begins by managing someone else's guilt, because his own fear has nowhere to go. Notice what he does not say: that he is afraid. Fear rarely announces itself; it comes out sideways, as a remark about someone else's failing. When you find yourself reminding a person of what they owe you, check what you are afraid of.