🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 1.10
Chapter 1 · अर्जुनविषादयोग · Arjuna-Viṣāda-Yoga · "The Yoga of Arjuna's Despondency" · Verse 10 of 47
अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।
पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्।।1.10।।
🪷 English Translations
Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.
Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
1.10 Yet our army seems the weaker, though commanded by Bheeshma; their army seems the stronger, though commanded by Bheema.
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
1.10. "This army of ours marshalled by Bhishma is insufficient,
whereas that army of theirs marshelled by Bhima is sufficient.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
1.10 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
1.1 - 1.19 Dhrtarastra said - Sanjaya said Duryodhana, after viewing the forces of Pandavas protected by Bhima, and his own forces protected by Bhisma conveyed his views thus to Drona, his teacher, about the adeacy of Bhima's forces for conering the Kaurava forces and the inadeacy of his own forces for victory against the Pandava forces. He was grief-stricken within.
Observing his (Duryodhana's) despondecny, Bhisma, in order to cheer him, roared like a lion, and then blowing his conch, made his side sound their conchs and kettle-drums, which made an uproar as a sign of victory. Then, having heard that great tumult, Arjuna and Sri Krsna the Lord of all lords, who was acting as the charioteer of Arjuna, sitting in their great chariot which was powerful enough to coner the three worlds; blew their divine conchs Srimad Pancajanya and Devadatta. Then, both Yudhisthira and Bhima blew their respective conchs separately. That tumult rent asunder the hearts of your sons, led by Duryodhana. The sons of Dhrtarastra then thought, 'Our cause is almost lost now itself.' So said Sanjaya to Dhrtarastra who was longing for their victory.
Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra: Then, seeing the Kauravas, who were ready for battle, Arjuna, who had Hanuman, noted for his exploit of burning Lanka, as the emblem on his flag on his chariot, directed his charioteer Sri Krsna, the Supreme Lord-who is overcome by parental love for those who take shelter in Him who is the treasure-house of knowledge, power, lordship, energy, potency and splendour, whose sportive delight brings about the origin, sustentation and dissolution of the entire cosmos at His will, who is the Lord of the senses, who controls in all ways the senses inner and outer of all, superior and inferior - by saying, 'Station my chariot in an appropriate place in order that I may see exactly my enemies who are eager for battle.'
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
1.10. Thus the army guarded by Bhima is unlimited (or insufficient) for us; on the other hand, the army guarded by Bhisma is limited (or sufficient) for them (the Pandavas).
🪷 Hindi Translation · हिन्दी अनुवाद
For the Hindi-aware seer · Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's translation · a high-readability modern Hindi rendering · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur tradition. (→ Full Mahāpurusha-detail page for the 102-year-living Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī Mahātmā.)
🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī tradition · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur · highest modern Hindi reading
।।1.10।। वह हमारी सेना पाण्डवों पर विजय करने में अपर्याप्त है, असमर्थ है; क्योंकि उसके संरक्षक (उभयपक्षपाती) भीष्म हैं। परन्तु इन पाण्डवों की सेना हमारे पर विजय करने में पर्याप्त है, समर्थ है; क्योंकि इसके संरक्षक (निजसेनापक्षपाती) भीमसेन हैं।
🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices
The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.
Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
1.10 अपर्याप्तम् insufficient? तत् that? अस्माकम् ours? बलम् army? भीष्माभिरक्षितम् marshalled by Bhishma? पर्याप्तम् sufficient? तु while? इदम् this? एतेषाम् their? बलम् army? भीमाभिरक्षितम् marshalled by Bhima.Commentary The verse is differently interpreted by different commentators. Sridhara Swami takes the word aparyaptam to mean insufficient. Ananda Giri takes it to mean unlimited.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
1.10 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
1.1 - 1.19 Dhrtarastra said - Sanjaya said Duryodhana, after viewing the forces of Pandavas protected by Bhima, and his own forces protected by Bhisma conveyed his views thus to Drona, his teacher, about the adeacy of Bhima's forces for conering the Kaurava forces and the inadeacy of his own forces for victory against the Pandava forces. He was grief-stricken within.
Observing his (Duryodhana's) despondecny, Bhisma, in order to cheer him, roared like a lion, and then blowing his conch, made his side sound their conchs and kettle-drums, which made an uproar as a sign of victory. Then, having heard that great tumult, Arjuna and Sri Krsna the Lord of all lords, who was acting as the charioteer of Arjuna, sitting in their great chariot which was powerful enough to coner the three worlds; blew their divine conchs Srimad Pancajanya and Devadatta. Then, both Yudhisthira and Bhima blew their respective conchs separately. That tumult rent asunder the hearts of your sons, led by Duryodhana. The sons of Dhrtarastra then thought, 'Our cause is almost lost now itself.' So said Sanjaya to Dhrtarastra who was longing for their victory.
Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra: Then, seeing the Kauravas, who were ready for battle, Arjuna, who had Hanuman, noted for his exploit of burning Lanka, as the emblem on his flag on his chariot, directed his charioteer Sri Krsna, the Supreme Lord-who is overcome by parental love for those who take shelter in Him who is the treasure-house of knowledge, power, lordship, energy, potency and splendour, whose sportive delight brings about the origin, sustentation and dissolution of the entire cosmos at His will, who is the Lord of the senses, who controls in all ways the senses inner and outer of all, superior and inferior - by saying, 'Station my chariot in an appropriate place in order that I may see exactly my enemies who are eager for battle.'
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
1.10 Aparyaptam etc. For us, for Pandava army grauded by Bhimasena is unlimited, i.e., it is not possible to vanish; or it is not sufficient, i.e., very insignificant when compared with our army. This is the meaning. On the other hand, for these Pandavas, this army guarded by Bhisma, belonging to us, is limited i.e., it is possible to vanish; or it is sufficient i.e., too much; in other words it is not possible to be vanished in the war by these (Pandavas).
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।1.10।। हिन्दुओं की प्राचीन युद्ध पद्धति में किसी सेना के सेनापति के साथसाथ कोई योद्धा सेना का रक्षक भी होता था जिसमें शौर्य साहस और बुद्धिमत्ता जैसे गुण आवश्यक होते थे। कौरव और पाण्डव पक्षों में क्रमश भीष्म और भीम रक्षक थे।
🪷 Hindi Vyākhyā · हिन्दी व्याख्या
Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · one of the great modern Hindi vyākhyās of the Gītā · direct, pure, deeply Vedāntic · the modern Sanātana-jāgaraṇa. (→ Full Mahāpurusha-detail page · 1904-2005 · Corner 1 Mādhurya operational anchor · whose 6-lakṣaṇa-śaraṇāgati IS Constitutional Principle 24.)
🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · Hindi vyākhyā · the modern bilingual anchor
।।1.10।। व्याख्या-- 'अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्'-- अधर्म--अन्यायके कारण दुर्योधनके मनमें भय होनेसे वह अपनी सेनाके विषयमें सोचता है कि हमारी सेना बड़ी होनेपर भी अर्थात् पाण्डवोंकी अपेक्षा चार अक्षौहिणी अधिक होनेपर भी पाण्डवोंपर विजय प्राप्त करनेमें है तो असमर्थ ही! कारण कि हमारी सेनामें मतभेद है। उसमें इतनी एकता (संगठन), निर्भयता, निःसंकोचता नहीं है, जितनी कि पाण्डवोंकी सेनामें है। हमारी सेनाके मुख्य संरक्षक पितामह भीष्म उभयपक्षपाती हैं अर्थात् उनके भीतर कौरव और पाण्डव--दोनों सेनाओंका पक्ष है। वे कृष्णके बड़े भक्त हैं। उनके हृदयमें युधिष्ठिरका बड़ा आदर है। अर्जुनपर भी उनका बड़ा स्नेह है। इसलिये वे हमारे पक्षमें रहते हुए भी भीतरसे पाण्डवोंका भला चाहते हैं। वे ही भीष्म हमारी सेनाके मुख्य सेनापति हैं। ऐसी दशामें हमारी सेना पाण्डवोंके मुकाबलेमें कैसे समर्थ हो सकती है? नहीं हो सकती।
'पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्'-- परन्तु यह जो पाण्डवोंकी सेना है, यह हमारेपर विजय करनेमें समर्थ है। कारण कि इनकी सेनामें मतभेद नहीं है, प्रत्युत सभी एकमत होकर संगठित हैं। इनकी सेनाका संरक्षक बलवान् भीमसेन है, जो कि बचपनसे ही मेरेको हराता आया है। यह अकेला ही मेरेसहित सौ भाइयोंको मारनेकी प्रतिज्ञा कर चुका है अर्थात् यह हमारा नाश करनेपर तुला हुआ है! इसका शरीर वज्रके समान मजबूत है। इसको मैंने जहर पिलाया था, तो भी यह मरा नहीं। ऐसा यह भीमसेन पाण्डवोंकी सेनाका संरक्षक है, इसलिये यह सेना वास्तवमें समर्थ है, पूर्ण है।
यहाँ एक शङ्का हो सकती है कि दुर्योधनने अपनी सेनाके संरक्षकके लिये भीष्मजीका नाम लिया, जो कि सेनापतिके पदपर नियुक्त हैं। परन्तु पाण्डव-सेनाके संरक्षकके लिये भीमसेनका नाम लिया, जो कि सेनापति नहीं हैं। इसका समाधान यह है कि दुर्योधन इस समय सेनापतियोंकी बात नहीं सोच रहा है; किन्तु दोनों सेनाओंकी शक्तिके विषयमें सोच रहा है कि किस सेनाकी शक्ति अधिक है? दुर्योधनपर आरम्भसे ही भीमसेनकी शक्तिका, बलवत्ताका अधिक प्रभाव पड़ा हुआ है। अतः वह पाण्डव-सेनाके संरक्षकके लिये भीमसेनका ही नाम लेता है।
विशेष बात
अर्जुन कौरव-सेनाको देखकर किसीके पास न जाकर हाथमें धनुष उठाते हैं (गीता 1। 20), पर दुर्योधन पाण्डवसेनाको देखकर द्रोणाचार्यके पास जाता है और उनसे पाण्डवोंकी व्यूहरचनायुक्त सेनाको देखनेके लिये कहता है। इससे सिद्ध होता है कि दुर्योधनके हृदयमें भय बैठा हुआ है ( टिप्पणी प0 10 )। भीतरमें भय होनेपर भी वह चालाकीसे द्रोणाचार्यको प्रसन्न करना चाहता है, उनको पाण्डवोंके विरुद्ध उकसाना चाहता है। कारण कि दुर्योधनके हृदयमें अधर्म है, अन्याय है पाप है। अन्यायी, पापी व्यक्ति कभी निर्भय और सुख-शान्तिसे नहीं रह सकता--यह नियम है। परन्तु अर्जुनके भीतर धर्म है, न्याय है। इसलिये अर्जुनके भीतर अपना स्वार्थ सिद्ध करनेके लिये चालाकी नहीं है, भय नहीं है; किन्तु उत्साह है, वीरता है। तभी तो वे वीरतामें आकर सेना-निरीक्षण करनेके लिये भगवान्को आज्ञा देते हैं कि हे अच्युत! दोनों सेनाओंके मध्यमें मेरे रथको खड़ा कर दीजिये' (1। 21)। इसका तात्पर्य है कि जिसके भीतर नाश्वान् धन-सम्पति आदिका आश्रय है, आदर है और जिसके भीतर अधर्म है, अन्याय है, दुर्भाव है, उसके भीतर वास्तविक बल नहीं होता। वह भीतरसे खोखला होता है और वह कभी निर्भय नहीं होता। परन्तु जिसके भीतर अपने धर्मका पालन है और भगवान्का आश्रय है, वह कभी भयभीत नहीं होता। उसका बल सच्चा होता है। वह सदा निश्चिन्त और निर्भय रहता है। अतः अपना कल्याण चाहनेवाले साधकोंको अधर्म, अन्याय आदिका सर्वथा त्याग करके और एकमात्र भगवान्का आश्रय लेकर भगवत्प्रीत्यर्थ अपने धर्मका अनुष्ठान करना चाहिये। भौतिक सम्पत्तिको महत्त्व देकर और संयोगजन्य सुखके प्रलोभनमें फँसकर कभी अधर्मका आश्रय नहीं लेना चाहिये; क्योंकि इन दोनोंसे मनुष्यका कभी हित नहीं होता,प्रत्युत अहित ही होता है।
सम्बन्ध-- अब दुर्योधन पितामह भीष्मको प्रसन्न करनेके लिये अपनी सेनाके सभी महारथियोंसे कहता है
🪷 Place in the Bhagavad-Gītā
- This is verse 10 of 47 in Chapter 1 · Arjuna-Viṣāda-Yoga (The Yoga of Arjuna's Despondency)
- Chapter theme: The seeker's collapse at the threshold of dharma
- Ṣaṭka grouping: TVAM-Ṣaṭka (BG 1-6 · the jīva)
- Chapter hub: /arjuna-vishada
- ⭐ Mahābhārata anchor: this verse is also MBh 6.23.10 (Bhīṣma-Parva · the BG in its full narrative home)
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📚 Cite this verse · Academic citation formats
APA: Vyāsa Maharṣi. (n.d.). Bhagavad-Gītā 1.10. Vidhyāmitra. Retrieved 2026-07-28, from https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/1/10 Chicago: Vyāsa Maharṣi. "Bhagavad-Gītā 1.10." Vidhyāmitra. Accessed 2026-07-28. https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/1/10. MLA: Vyāsa Maharṣi. "Bhagavad-Gītā 1.10." Vidhyāmitra, 2026, https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/1/10. Canonical URL:
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🪷 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय 🪷
सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)