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BG 11.34 — 11.34 Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and other brave warriors these are already slain by Me: do thou kill; be not distressed with fear; fight and thou
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द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च
कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् |
मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा
युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ||११-३४||

droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca karṇaṃ tathānyānapi yodhavīrān . mayā hatāṃstvaṃ jahi mavyathiṣṭhā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān ||11-34||


11.34 Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and other brave warriors these are already slain by Me: do thou kill; be not distressed with fear; fight and thou shalt coner thy enemies in battle.

Word-by-word meanings

11.34 द्रोणम् Drona? च and? भीष्मम् Bhishma? च and? जयद्रथम् Jayadratha? च and? कर्णम् Karna? तथा also? अन्यान् others? अपि also? योधवीरान् brave warriors? मया by Me? हतान् slain? त्वम् thou? जहि do kill? मा not? व्यथिष्ठाः be distressed with fear? युध्यस्व fight? जेतासि shall coner? रणे in the battle? सपत्नान् the enemies.Commentary Already slain by Me Therefore? O Arjuna? you need not be afraid of incurring sin by killing them.Drona had celestial weapons. He was Arjunas teacher in the science

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

11.34 By saying, 'who have been killed by Me,' the Lord names Drona and those very warriors with regard to whom Arjuna had (his) doubts. Now then, uncertainty with regard to Drona and Bhisma is well-founded. Drona was the teacher of the science of archery, and was eipped with heavenly weapons; and particularly, he was his (Arjuna's) own teacher and most respected. Bhisma was destined to die at will, and possessed heavenly weapons. He fought a duel with Parasurama and remained unvanished. So also Jayadratha-whose father was performing an austerity with the idea that anyone who made his son's head fall on the ground would have even his own head fall. Since Karna also was eipped with an unerring spear given by Indra, and was a son of the Sun, born of a maiden (Kunti), therefore he is referred to by his own name itself. As a mere instrument, tvam, you; jahi, destory them; who have been hatan, killed; maya, by Me. Ma, do not; vyathisthah, be afraid of them. Yuddhyasva, fight. Jetasi, you shall coner; the sapatnan, enemies-Duryodhana and others; rane, in battle.

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

11.34 You destroy Drona and Bhisma, and Jayadratha and Karna as also the other heroic warriors who have been killed by Me. Do not be afraid. Fight! You shall coner the enemies in battle.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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