भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जय: |
अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च || 8||
अन्ये च बहव: शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविता: |
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणा: सर्वे युद्धविशारदा: || 9||
bhavānbhīṣhmaśhcha karṇaśhcha kṛipaśhcha samitiñjayaḥ
aśhvatthāmā vikarṇaśhcha saumadattis tathaiva cha
anye cha bahavaḥ śhūrā madarthe tyaktajīvitāḥ
nānā-śhastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha-viśhāradāḥ
bhavān—yourself; bhīṣhmaḥ—Bheeshma; cha—and; karṇaḥ—Karna; cha—and; kṛipaḥ—Kripa; cha—and; samitim-jayaḥ—victorious in battle; aśhvatthāmā—Ashvatthama; vikarṇaḥ—Vikarna; cha—and; saumadattiḥ—Bhurishrava; tathā—thus; eva—even; cha—also; anye—others; cha—also; bahavaḥ—many; śhūrāḥ—heroic warriors; mat-arthe—for my sake; tyakta-jīvitāḥ—prepared to lay down their lives; nānā-śhastra-praharaṇāḥ—equipped with various kinds of weapons; sarve—all; yuddha-viśhāradāḥ—skilled in the art of warfare
Translation:
Yourself and Bhishma and Karna; Kripa, who is ever victorious in war; Aśvatthāmā, Vikarna, Jayadratha, and Somadatta’s son;
And many other heroes besides, armed with many weapons, each well skilled in battle, and all resolved to lay down their lives to serve my cause.
Commentary:
While mentioning the heroes on his side, Duryodhana first refers to Drona, and next to Bhishma, though the latter was the first supreme commander of the army. Duryodhana might have referred thus just because he was directly speaking to Drona or because it should be proper to refer to his teacher first, or because it would inspire Drona to do his best in the battle.
Though Drona knew the chief heroes on either side, Duryodhana, on the pretext of reminding him, enumerates them again, and calculated the difference in strength between the two armies. He means of course that all the warriors on his side are determined to fight to the last, to lay down their lives for his sake. But by a stroke of tragic irony, it is indicative of their destruction in battle. Some commentators hold the view that it is an ill-omen for Duryodhana.