Shloka 15
Arjuna’s Lament, the End of the Yadus, and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure
यो भीष्मकर्णगुरुशल्यचमूष्वदभ्र- राजन्यवर्यरथमण्डलमण्डितासु । अग्रेचरो मम विभो रथयूथपाना- मायुर्मनांसि च दृशा सह ओज आर्च्छत् ॥ १५ ॥
yo bhīṣma-karṇa-guru-śalya-camūṣv adabhra- rājanya-varya-ratha-maṇḍala-maṇḍitāsu agrecaro mama vibho ratha-yūthapānām āyur manāṁsi ca dṛśā saha oja ārcchat
એ જ મારા વિભુ શ્રીકૃષ્ણ યુદ્ધભૂમિમાં આગળ વધતાં, ભીષ્મ, કર્ણ, દ્રોણ, શલ્ય વગેરેના નેતૃત્વવાળી કૌરવ સેનાવ્યૂહમાંથી સૌનું આયુષ્ય, ઉત્સાહ અને મનોબળ દૃષ્ટિથી જ હરી લેતા।
The Absolute Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, expands Himself by His plenary Paramātmā portion in everyone’s heart, and thus He directs everyone in the matter of recollection, forgetfulness, knowledge, the absence of intelligence and all psychological activities ( Bg. 15.15 ). As the Supreme Lord, He can increase or decrease the duration of life of a living being. Thus the Lord conducted the Battle of Kurukṣetra according to His own plan. He wanted that battle to establish Yudhiṣṭhira as the Emperor of this planet, and to facilitate this transcendental business He killed all who were on the opposite party by His omnipotent will. The other party was equipped with all military strength supported by big generals like Bhīṣma, Droṇa and Śalya, and it would have been physically impossible for Arjuna to win the battle had the Lord not helped him by every kind of tactic. Such tactics are generally followed by every statesman, even in modern warfare, but they are all done materially by powerful espionages, military tactics and diplomatic maneuvers. But because Arjuna was the Lord’s affectionate devotee, the Lord did all this Himself without personal anxiety by Arjuna. That is the way of the devotional service to the Lord.
FAQs
This verse says that simply by Krishna’s glance the opposing chariot leaders lost their strength, resolve, and even their lifespan—showing His supreme control even amid war.
Yudhishthira is recalling how formidable the Kaurava side was, and how Krishna—by leading and protecting the Pandavas—overcame even those greatest warriors.
When facing overwhelming opposition, remember that divine support can change outcomes beyond human calculation; cultivate steadiness through devotion rather than relying only on personal strength.