Bhagavad Gita BG 1.11
Chapter 1, Verse 11 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः । भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि ॥ ११ ॥
ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ bhīṣmam evābhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi
Meaning
Therefore all of you, stationed at your respective positions in the array, must protect Bhishma above all.
Understanding
Duryodhana ends his assessment with a strategic command: every warrior must hold his assigned position, and — crucially — all must ensure Bhishma's protection. This reveals that even Duryodhana understood that the entire Kaurava strategy rested on Bhishma. If Bhishma fell, the army would be in serious trouble. The fact that he has to give this instruction also suggests his anxiety about Bhishma's safety.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अयनेषु | ayaneṣu | at the entrances / in the positions / passageways |
| यथाभागम् | yathā-bhāgam | each in their respective position |
| अवस्थिताः | avasthitāḥ | stationed / positioned |
| अभिरक्षन्तु | abhirakṣantu | let them protect / guard |
| च | ca | and (conjunction) |
| सर्वेषु | sarveṣu | at all (positions) / in each |
| भीष्मम् | bhīṣmam | Bhishma (the grandsire) |
| एव | eva | above all / especially (emphatic) |
| भवन्तः | bhavantaḥ | all of you (honorific plural) |
| सर्वे | sarve | all / all of you |
| हि | hi | certainly / indeed (emphatic) |