Sanskrit
अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम । नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते ॥
asmākaṃ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama nāyakā mama sainyasya saṃjñārthaṃ tān bravīmi te
Translation
Know further all those who are our chiefs, O best of the twice-born, the leaders of my army; these I name to thee for thy information:
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Having listed the opposing side’s strength, Duryodhana pivots to naming his own commanders, addressing Drona respectfully as “best of the twice-born.” The gesture is telling: he’s not just reporting, he’s reassuring his teacher, and by extension himself.
Study deeper
Word by word
- asmākaṃअस्माकं
- of ours
- tuतु
- but
- viśiṣṭāविशिष्टा
- the distinguished ones
- yeये
- who
- tānतान्
- them
- nibodhaनिबोध
- take note of
- dvijottamaद्विजोत्तम
- O best of the twice-born
- nāyakāनायका
- the leaders
- mama sainyasyaमम सैन्यस्य
- of my army
- saṃjñārthaṃसंज्ञार्थं
- by way of naming them
- tānतान्
- them
- bravīmiब्रवीमि
- I tell
- teते
- to you
Commentary
Site Commentary
Duryodhana frames this roster as information “for thy information” — ostensibly serving Drona’s need to know. But a list this detailed, handed to a teacher who surely already knows his own side’s strength, is doing more for the speaker’s nerves than for the listener’s knowledge. People often dress up self-reassurance as briefing someone else.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- Notice when you're over-explaining something to another person mainly to calm your own nerves, not because they actually need the detail — the audience you're really talking to is yourself.
Professional
- When a status update runs unusually long or detailed, check whether it's serving the listener's actual need to know or your own anxiety about the work — trim it once you notice which one it is.
Family & Social
- When you catch yourself over-explaining a decision to a family member, ask honestly whether they need that much detail or whether you're really reassuring yourself — naming it changes the conversation.
Ask yourself
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