Bhagavad Gita BG 11.34
Chapter 11, Verse 34 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् । मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठाः युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ॥
droNam ca bhishmam ca jayadratham ca karNam tathanyan api yodha-viran maya hatan tvam jahi ma vyathishthah yudhyasva jetasi raNe sapatnan
Meaning
Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and the other warrior-heroes — already slain by Me — you slay. Be not distressed. Fight! You shall conquer enemies in battle.
Understanding
Krishna's direct command from within the Vishvarupa vision — the most important verse in the chapter's martial context. Maya hatam tvam jahi (slain by Me — you slay). The warriors are ALREADY slain in the cosmic vision; Arjuna's action is merely completing in the physical what is already accomplished in the real. Ma vyathishthah (do not be distressed, do not be agitated). Yudhyasva (fight — imperative). Jetasi rane sapatnan (you shall conquer enemies in battle). The teaching of nimitta-matra from Ch11 v33 is restated here in the most concrete possible terms: Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna — named individually. They are already gone. Act.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| जयद्रथम् | jayadratham | Jayadratha (the Sindhu king who blocked Abhimanyu) |
| योधवीरान् | yodha-viran | warrior-heroes, battle champions |
| मया हतान् | maya hatan | slain by Me (already killed by the Divine Will) |
| व्यथिष्ठाः | vyathishthah | be distressed, be agitated (imperative negated) |
| सपत्नान् | sapatnan | enemies, opponents, rivals |
| द्रोणम् | droṇam | Drona |
| च | ca | and |
| भीष्मम् | bhīṣmam | Bhishma |
| च | ca | and |
| च | ca | and |
| कर्णम् | karṇam | Karna |
| तथा | tathā | and also |
| अन्यान् | anyān | others |
| अपि | api | also |
| योध-वीरान् | yodha-vīrān | heroic warriors |
| मया | mayā | by Me |
| हतान् | hatān | killed, slain |
| त्वम् | tvam | you |
| जहि | jahi | kill, slay |
| मा | mā | do not |
| व्यथिष्ठाः | vyathiṣṭhāḥ | be distressed, grieve |
| युध्यस्व | yudhyasva | fight |
| जेतासि | jetāsi | you will conquer |
| रणे | raṇe | in battle |
| सपत्नान् | sapatnān | the enemies |