Bhagavad-gītā 1.10 – Study Guide

1. Purport Metrics & Overview

Purport Metrics	Details
No. of times cited by Śrīla Prabhupāda	1
Total No. of Words in Purport	123
No. of Paragraphs in Purport	1
Purport Paragraph Title	Ignited by the Fire of Envy, Duryodhana Compares Bhīma with Bhīṣma

High-Level Flow:

Duryodhana now makes a direct comparison between his army and the Pāṇḍavas.
He considers his army immeasurable in strength because it is protected by Bhīṣma.
He looks down upon the Pāṇḍavas’ strength, claiming it is limited because it is protected by Bhīma.
This verse reveals Duryodhana’s confidence in Bhīṣma while showing his deep-seated envy toward Bhīma.

2. Verse & Translation

Sanskrit:
aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁ
balaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam
paryāptaṁ tv idam eteṣāṁ
balaṁ bhīmābhirakṣitam

Translation:
“Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.”

3. Connection with Previous Verse

Verse 1.9 focuses on the numerous warriors in Duryodhana’s army who are willing to die for him.
Verse 1.10 further solidifies his belief that his army is superior, contrasting his own general Bhīṣma with Bhīma, whom he underestimates.
Key Link:

Duryodhana moves from listing warriors to making an outright claim of superiority.
His words reveal his arrogance, envy, and false sense of confidence.

4. Sambandha, Abhidheya, or Prayojana?

Category: Sambandha-tattva (Understanding our relationship with Krishna and the material world)

Sambandha-tattva defines the nature of jīva, īśvara, prakṛti, kāla, and karma.
Duryodhana relies solely on external strength, failing to acknowledge Krishna’s supreme control over the battle.
His pride blinds him to the true power behind the Pāṇḍavas—their devotion to Krishna.

✅ This verse is Sambandha-tattva because it highlights:

The illusion of strength—Duryodhana sees numbers but fails to recognize divine protection.
Material perception vs. spiritual reality—he considers Bhīma weak, not knowing Bhīma’s true might comes from Krishna.
How envy distorts judgment—his hatred toward Bhīma clouds his understanding.

5. Analysis of Key Terms

Aparyāptaṁ (Immeasurable Strength)
Duryodhana overestimates his army’s strength, failing to recognize that divine will determines the outcome.

Paryāptaṁ (Limited Strength)
He looks down on the Pāṇḍavas’ army, exposing his misjudgment of Krishna’s protection.

Bhīṣmābhirakṣitam (Protected by Bhīṣma)
He puts full faith in Bhīṣma, ignoring that Bhīṣma is bound by his own limitations and eventual defeat.

Bhīmābhirakṣitam (Protected by Bhīma)
Duryodhana expresses his deep envy of Bhīma, fearing him yet mocking him.

6. Connection to the Five Topics of Bhagavad-gītā

Topic	Connection in Verse 1.10
Īśvara (Supreme Lord)	Duryodhana ignores Krishna’s control, falsely believing Bhīṣma ensures victory.
Jīva (Living entity)	Duryodhana represents the conditioned soul, blinded by pride and attachment to material strength.
Prakṛti (Material nature)	The army’s strength is a material calculation, but Krishna controls the real outcome.
Kāla (Time)	Kāla is driving events toward the inevitable downfall of Duryodhana’s army.
Karma (Actions & Results)	Duryodhana’s past envy and offenses are leading to his destruction.

7. Key Points from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Purport

Ignited by the Fire of Envy, Duryodhana Compares Bhīma with Bhīṣma

Duryodhana sees Bhīṣma as his greatest advantage, ignoring Bhīṣma’s inner conflict about fighting against the Pāṇḍavas.
His confidence is built on material calculations, not righteousness.
He underestimates Bhīma due to his long-standing envy, yet he secretly fears him the most.

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Purport Citation:
“Duryodhana was always envious of Bhīma because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhīma.”

8. Insights from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Lecture (July 12, 1973, London)

Duryodhana’s words reveal his materialistic thinking—he evaluates strength only based on numbers and generals.
Bhīṣma may be a great warrior, but he is still a conditioned soul—his blessings and limitations are under Krishna’s control.
Bhīma, though appearing less experienced, has the support of Krishna, making him truly undefeatable.
Duryodhana’s reliance on Bhīṣma will ultimately fail, because Bhīṣma himself will eventually surrender to Krishna’s plan.

9. Practical Lessons

Overconfidence Leads to Blindness
Duryodhana believes in Bhīṣma but fails to recognize the limitations of material strength.

Spiritual Strength Overpowers Material Strength
Bhīma appears weaker in Duryodhana’s eyes, but his connection with Krishna makes him far more powerful.

Envy Clouds Judgment
Duryodhana’s hatred toward Bhīma prevents him from seeing reality clearly.

10. Preaching Relevance & Application

Preaching Topic	How This Verse is Relevant
False Security in Material Strength	Duryodhana trusts Bhīṣma, not realizing Krishna controls victory.
Pride vs. Surrender to Krishna	Duryodhana’s pride in his army blinds him to divine truth.
Envy as the Root of Blindness	Duryodhana underestimates Bhīma due to his long-standing jealousy.

11. Conclusion

Bhagavad-gītā 1.10 reveals Duryodhana’s materialistic mindset—he sees Bhīṣma as his key to victory and underestimates Bhīma due to envy. However, his confidence is misplaced, as real victory comes from Krishna’s plan, not numbers or experience. His boast about his army’s immeasurable strength ironically highlights his ignorance—he fails to recognize that true power lies in surrender to Krishna, not in material calculations.