Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 6: Meaning and Special Explanation

Sloka (Verse):

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान् ।
सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्व एव महारथाः ॥६॥

Yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta uttamaujāś ca vīryavān ।
Saubhadro draupadeyāś ca sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ ॥6॥

Word-by-Word Meaning:

yudhāmanyuḥ — Yudhamanyu
ca — and
vikrāntaḥ — mighty, valiant
uttamaujāḥ — Uttamauja
ca — and
vīryavān — very powerful, full of strength
saubhadraḥ — the son of Subhadra
draupadeyāḥ — the sons of Draupadi
ca — and
sarve — all
eva — certainly
mahā-rathāḥ — great warriors, mighty chariot fighters

Translation:

There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.

Purport

In this verse, Sanjaya, the charioteer of Dhritarashtra, continues to describe several distinguished Maharathi warriors on the side of the Pandavas. Four special warriors are mentioned here: Yudhamanyu, Uttamauja, Abhimanyu, and the five sons of Draupadi.

Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja were extremely valiant warriors. Both were princes of the Panchala kingdom and relatives of King Drupada. Their fighting skills were extraordinary. The scriptures mention that these two brave warriors were specially appointed as protectors of Arjuna. On the battlefield, they always stood beside Arjuna to protect him and fought with great courage against the enemies.

The son of Subhadra refers to Abhimanyu. Subhadra was Lord Sri Krishna's sister and Arjuna's wife. Abhimanyu was an extremely brilliant, courageous, and skilled warrior. At merely sixteen years of age, he was highly proficient in the art of warfare. He learned the science of weapons from his father Arjuna and his maternal uncle Sri Krishna. In the Kurukshetra war, Abhimanyu displayed extraordinary valor and was capable of performing difficult tasks such as penetrating the Chakravyuha (wheel formation).

The sons of Draupadi refers to the five sons born to Draupadi and the five Pandavas. Their names were Prativindhya (son of Yudhishthira), Sutasoma (son of Bhima), Shrutakirti (son of Arjuna), Shatanika (son of Nakula), and Shrutasena (son of Sahadeva). These five young warriors were as brave and skilled as their fathers. They had been trained in the art of warfare from a young age and played an important role in the Battle of Kurukshetra.

The term Maharathi here is extremely significant. In the Mahabharata, a Maharathi warrior was considered equal to twelve Atirathi warriors or 720,000 ordinary soldiers, indicating a high level of warrior skill. However, top Maharathis like Arjuna, Bhishma, Karna, Drona, and Ashwatthama were at different levels among themselves, and some of them possessed power equal to multiple Maharathis. Attaining this title was extremely difficult, and only warriors with extraordinary combat skills received this honor. All the warriors mentioned in this verse were Maharathis, proving that the Pandava side had assembled extremely powerful and skilled warriors.

Through this verse, Sanjaya is making Dhritarashtra understand that on the Pandava side, there were not only Arjuna or Bhima, but many other young and valiant warriors who could pose a serious challenge to the Kuru army. This was a subtle indication that the outcome of the war might not be favorable for the Kauravas.

From a spiritual perspective, all these warriors stood on the side of dharma (righteousness). They were not fighting merely for their kingdom or power, but for the establishment of truth, justice, and dharma. This teaches us that in life, we too must stand for truth, fight against injustice, and perform our duties under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.

Despite their young age, these warriors demonstrated extraordinary courage, skill, and dedication to dharma. This proves that age is no barrier if there is right intention in the heart and the blessings of the Lord. In our lives too, we can advance on the path of truth and dharma at any age, if we take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and follow His guidance.

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