Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 1, Verse 4
अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि।
युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः।।
युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः।।
atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi
yuyudhāno virāṭaśca drupadaśca mahā-rathaḥ
also searched as "Atra shura maheshvasa bhimarjunasama yudhi"
Translation
There (in that army) are heroes, great bowmen, such as Bhima and Arjuna; Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, a mighty warrior;
Vāṇi's rendering
Mighty archers stand there, Bhima's and Arjuna's equals in battle — Yuyudhana, Virata, the great warrior Drupada.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अत्रatra | here, on that side — in the army drawn up opposite |
| शूराःśūrā | brave men, heroes (śūrāḥ, the ending softened before the next word) |
| महेष्वासाःmaheṣvāsā | great archers — literally those who wield mighty bows (mahā + iṣvāsa) |
| भीमार्जुनसमाःbhīmārjuna-samā | equal to Bhima and Arjuna |
| युधिyudhi | in battle |
| युयुधानःyuyudhāno | Yuyudhana, also called Satyaki (yuyudhānaḥ, softened before the following word) |
| विराटःvirāṭaś | Virata, king of the Matsyas (virāṭaḥ, changed by sandhi before ca) |
| चca | and |
| द्रुपदःdrupadaś | Drupada, king of the Panchalas (drupadaḥ, changed by sandhi before ca) |
| चca | and |
| महारथःmahā-rathaḥ | a great chariot-warrior — one who can hold a field alone |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 4 mean?
Duryodhana, standing beside Drona, begins listing the warriors facing him — great archers who match Bhima and Arjuna, then Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada. The words sound like a commander's assessment. Underneath, they are the words of a man who has measured the opposing side too carefully to be calm about it.
What does 'Atra shura maheshvasa bhimarjunasama yudhi' mean?
It means: here stand heroes, mighty bowmen, the equals of Bhima and Arjuna in battle. Duryodhana is pointing across the field. He does not diminish them; he cannot. The strength he names is real, and naming it aloud to his teacher does something to him he did not intend.
Why does Duryodhana praise the enemy warriors?
He frames it as briefing Drona, but he is also nudging him — Drupada is Drona's old enemy, and mentioning him is a quiet goad. And he is talking himself steady. A man secure in his advantage does not recite the other side's best names in order.
Who are Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada?
Yuyudhana is Satyaki, of Krishna's own clan, fighting for the Pandavas. Virata is the king in whose court the brothers hid through their last year of exile. Drupada is Draupadi's father, and Drona's bitter rival. Each name carries a history, and Duryodhana knows every one of them.
Themes in this verse
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
View on the App Store
Commentary
Duryodhana is counting the enemy. He stands before his teacher and names them one by one — mighty archers, equals of Bhima and Arjuna, and Drupada, whose quarrel with Drona is old and personal. He means it as a display of readiness. It reads as something else. Nobody catalogues the other side's best men this precisely unless he has been awake with them at night. Praise spoken through clenched teeth is fear that has found respectable words. Next time you take stock of what stands against you, notice which of the two is speaking.