Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, verses 4-6: The main warriors on the Pandava side.

2026-07-08 written
Topic: AI article: Bhagavad Gita.

This article was partially created using AI. The content has been reviewed and revised by editors

From a list of names, one can see the depth of the military and the weight of war.

In sections 4 through 6, the names of warriors on the Pandava side continue. You don't need to memorize all of them from the beginning. What is important is how Duryodhana views the enemy army as being strong.

Warriors comparable to Bhima and Arjuna, various kings, relatives, and allies are listed. The Pandava army was not just composed of the five brothers; it was supported by a wide network of relationships and capable individuals.

At the end of the list, there are also the five sons of the young hero Abhimanyu and Draupadi. Knowing their subsequent fates, this list is not just a roster of forces, but rather represents the lives of each individual who will be drawn into the war.

This is a scene that conveys the strength of the enemy, but even in its name, there is already an implication of what will be lost.


Japanese Translation from the Gita Press Edition - Chapter 1, Sections 4-6: "The Principal Warriors on the Side of the Pandavas"

Chapter 1, Sections 4-6

atra, the fierce warriors are present, equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle. Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, all great fighters. || 4 ||

Dhristaketu, Ekalavya, Kasiraja, strong and courageous. Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Saibhya, and Narapungava, all are heroes. || 5 ||

Yudhamanyu, Vikrant, Uttamaujas, also powerful warriors. Saubhadra and Draupadi's sons, all are great fighters. || 6 ||

Translation

This army has, powerful archers, and heroes who are equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle.

Thirtyaki, Vilarta, and Maharatri Dolpada.

Drishtaketu, Chekitana, The brave King Kashi.

Pulljit, Kuntibhoja, Among the people, an excellent Shabiya.

Powerful Yudama, Brave Uttamauja.

Subhadra's son, Abhimanyu, and Draupadi's five sons.

They are all, truly Maharatī, that is to say, excellent warriors.

Annotative Translation

In section 4, the word "yudhi" cannot be interpreted as the object of "atra."

Because, at that point, the actual fighting had not yet begun.

Also, since the previous section discusses the Pandava army, "atra" naturally refers to that army, and does not require another entity word to correspond with it.

If we associate yudhi with bhīmārjunasamāḥ, then, the famous warriors listed here are shown to be equal to Bhima and Arjuna in terms of their strength in battle and proficiency in martial arts.

The following is a list of the warriors mentioned here, along with their backgrounds:

Yuyudana is another name for Shanti, and he was a disciple of Arjuna.

He was the grandson of Shini, a chieftain of the Yadava clan, and deeply devoted to Krishna. He was a powerful warrior who could fight many warriors alone, and his name was Atiratī.

He survived the Mahabharata War, but he died in a conflict within the Yadava clan that occurred afterward.

Vilarta is the name of a virtuous king in the country of Matsya.

The Pandavas spent a year living in his household.

His daughter, Uttara, married Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.

Virata and his three sons, Uttara, Shveta, and Shanka, were killed in the Mahabharata War.

Darpada was the son of King Prishata of the country of Panchala.

Since King Prishata and the sage Bharadvaja were close friends, Dolpad lived for a time in his childhood at the hermitage of Sage Bharadvaja, and there he became friendly with Drona, the son of Sage Bharadvaja.

However, when Dolpada became king, when Dorna visited him as a friend, Dolpada did not welcome it, and Dorna was deeply hurt and returned.

After that, Drona taught archery to both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. As revenge for the insults he had received in the past, he made Arjuna defeat Drupada in battle, and allowed him to acquire half of his kingdom.

The defeated Dorupada, on the surface, restored his friendship with Dona, but in the depths of his heart, he harbored resentment.

And, with the help of two Brahmans named Yajña and Upayajña, he performed a ritual to obtain a son who would kill Drona.

From that altar, Drishtadyumna and Krishna appeared.

This Krishna is the woman who would later be known as Draupadi and also as Yajnaseni, and the Pandavas won her in a test of archery and took her as their wife.

The king Dorpad was a great Kshatriya hero, and he was counted among the Maharatis.

In the Mahabharata war, he was killed by Drona in a direct confrontation.

Drishthaketu was the son of King Shisupala of Chedi.

He died at the hands of Drona in the Mahabharata war.

Chekitarna was a Yadava hero belonging to the Vrishni tribe, and as a warrior in Maharat, he possessed great valor.

He was one of the seven commanders of the Pandava army, known as the Saptakshaya, and died at the hands of Duryodhana in the Mahabharata war.

The King Karsee was also a great hero and a Maharat.

The name is difficult to identify clearly.

Prudhgit and Kunthibhoja were both brothers of Kunti, and maternal uncles of Yudhishtira and his brothers.

Both of them died at the hands of Teacher Drona in the Mahabharata War.

Shabya was, the father-in-law of King Yudhisthira, who embodied justice.

His daughter, Devika, married Yudhisthira.

He was not only a hero and a powerful warrior, but also a great person in terms of his character.

Therefore, he is called "one of the outstanding people."

Yudhama and Uttamauja were brothers, and they were princes of the Panchala region.

In the arrangement of troops for battle, they were positioned to protect the wheels of Arjuna's chariot.

Both of them were great warriors with extraordinary power, so their names include words such as "powerful" and "courageous."

The two died at night, while sleeping, by the hand of Ashwatthaman.

Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna, who was born to Subhadra, Krishna's sister.

He married Uttara, the daughter of King Virata of Matsya.

Abhimanyu learned archery from his father, Arjuna, and also from Pradyumna, the eldest son of Krishna. He was a warrior with extraordinary qualities.

On one day of the Mahabharata War, Guru Drona used a very powerful formation called "Chakra vyuha," which means "wheel formation."

Yudhisthira, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva, Virata, Drupada, Even major warriors on the Pandava side, such as Dristadyumna, Were blocked by Jayadratha guarding the gate, And could not enter their camp.

Arjuna was fighting in another place.

That day, the young hero Abhimanyu, alone broke through the Kaurava army's formation, defeated countless enemy soldiers, and displayed extraordinary valor.

しかし, Drona, Kripacharya, Carn, Ashwatthama, Bhishm, and Kritavarman, the six Maharathees of the Kaurava army, surrounded young Abhimanyu in violation of the rules of war.

Abhimanyu, even in that state, single-handedly defeated many warriors. However, in the end, he was struck on the head with a club by the son of Duryodhana, and died as a result of this injury.

Parikshit was the son of Abhimanyu.

The names of Draupadi's five sons are: Prativindya, Shrutasoma, Shrutakarma, Shatyaveka, and Shrutasena.

They were each, Yudhisthira's son, Bhima Sena's son, Arjuna's son, Nakula's son, Sahadeva's son.

They were killed in the middle of the night, by the hand of Ashwatthama.

He is extremely knowledgeable in scriptures and weaponry, and he is a great hero who can command ten thousand archers fighting together. His name is Maharatri.

Regarding most of the warriors mentioned by Duryodhana here, the Mahabharata, Book 13 (Udyoga Parva), chapters 169 to 172, provides detailed descriptions of their individual valor.

There, they are mentioned as Attilati or Maharlati.

Furthermore, besides these people, the Pandava army also had Maharaties.

In section 6, the word "sarve," which means "all," should be interpreted as including all of those individuals.

[ 日本語 / English / Español ]