Shloka 10

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्

पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम् ll  (श्लोक १०)

Aparyaptam tadasmaakam balam bhismaabhirakshitam

Paryaptam tvidmeteshaam balam  bhimaabhiraakshitam ll (Shloka 10)

Morphophonology (संधि - विच्छेद)

Aparyaptam tad asmaakam balam bhisma abhi rakshitam

Paryaptam tvid me teshaam balam  bhima abhi raakshitam ll (Shloka 10)

Commentary

The 10^th Shloka has to be interpreted very carefully. Let us first see what Duryodhan has said in this Shloka.

There our (tadasmaakam, तदस्माकं – Tad (tat): Wahan (There) Asmakam: Hamari (Our)) force under the protection of Bhisma is Inadequate (Aparyaptam, अपर्याप्तं) but There their (tvidmeteshaam; त्विदमेतेषां – teshaam - Their) force protected by Bhima is adequate (Paryaptam, पर्याप्तं). (Shloka 10)

Does this mean that Duryodhana was criticising his force? He was sounding quite confidant while discussing about the strength of his army just before this. Than what does this actually mean?

In this Shloka there is confusion about the words Paryaptam

(पर्याप्तं ) and Aparyaptam (अपर्याप्तं).

This Shloka if taken in this form contradicts the intonation of Duryodhana as well as it contradicts his statement about his army to his father Dhritrashtra in the First Udyog Parva of Mahabharat

अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थितः

भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव ही ll

Ayneshu cha sarveshu yathaabhagamwasthitah

Bhismmewaabhirakshantu bhawantah sarv ev hi ll

At this time he had named all the people who he is mentioning over here in Shloka 8 to 10 and is saying that my army is large and qualified (Ayneshu cha sarveshu), therefore only I shall win (bhawantah sarv ev hi).

Moreover, he was talking to Drona and he was not whispering. He was being heard by others also and Duryodhana was trying to motivate his people. So how could have he said something that could have dampened their spirit and that too just before beginning of the war.

This raises the question that what did he meant by this? Aparyapt in Sanskrit has three meaning and they are a) Inadequate (as mentioned earlier in the interpretation) b) Without any limit (Unlimited) which in Hindi is called Asimit and c) Unable or Incapable. Paryapt is just the Opposite of Aparyapt.

During the entire Mahabharat Duryodhana has never been seen afraid. Therefore arguing that by having a look of Pandava’s army he probably has gone afraid is not right. Despite, it is mentioned in Bhishma Parva of Mahabharat (Ref: 19.5 and 21.1) that by seeing the large army of Duryodhana Pandava’s have strategically formed their army in the shape of Vajra (Vajra Vyuh) and that Yudhisthir was little disappointed by the sheer size of Kaurava’s army. Therefore, the hypothesis of Duryodhana being frightened does not stand any water.

Secondly, Senapati (General) of Pandava’s army was Ghrishtdyumn and Duryodhana in this Shloka is talking about Bheema (bhimaabhiraakshitam; भीमाभिरक्षितम् – Protected by Bheema). It is because Duryodhana could see only Bheema leading the force as Bheema was given the responsibility of protecting the Vajra formation. Thus, Duryodhana concluded that Bheem was protecting the army of Pandavas’.

Therefore it makes more sense that during that period Aparyapt word was used to mean Unlimited or Large and Paryapt meant Limited.

Thus, Shloka 10 actually means “Our army which is protected by Bhishma is Invincible and their army which is protected by Bhima is easy to be won over (by us).

This sense is endorsed by the Shloka No 11^th also which suggests that Bhisma by hearing Duryodhana blew his Conch in favour of his opinion.

Thus, by Shloka 10^th Duryodhana has formed his opinion and his decision making process was over. He was more confident than before and he successfully had motivated his army and generals.