Chapter 1 Shlokas 17, 18

काश्यश्च परमेष्वास: शिखण्डी च महारथ:।

धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजित:।।१७।।

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वश: पृथिवीपते।

सौभद्रश्च महाबाहु: शंखान्दध्मु: पृथक्पृथक्।।१८।।

Now Sanjay enumerates other principal warriors of the Pandava army:

O Lord of the earth, Dhritrashtra! The supreme archer – the King of Kashi, the great charioteer Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna and Virat, the unconquerable Satyaki, King Drupad and the five sons of Draupadi, and the mighty armed Abhimanyu – son of Subhadra, they all blew their respective conches.

Chapter 1 Shlokas 17, 18

काश्यश्च परमेष्वास: शिखण्डी च महारथ:।

धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजित:।।१७।।

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वश: पृथिवीपते।

सौभद्रश्च महाबाहु: शंखान्दध्मु: पृथक्पृथक्।।१८।।

Now Sanjay enumerates other principal warriors of the Pandava army:

O Lord of the earth, Dhritrashtra! The supreme archer – the King of Kashi, the great charioteer Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna and Virat, the unconquerable Satyaki, King Drupad and the five sons of Draupadi, and the mighty armed Abhimanyu – son of Subhadra, they all blew their respective conches.

In a bid to awaken Dhritrashtra, Sanjay addressed Dhritrashtra as the ‘Lord of the earth’ because:

a) he was the real king – the sovereign of the kingdom, not Duryodhana;

b) if Dhritrashtra had not become so blind in his attachment to his sons:

­­– he would have done justice and returned the kingdom of the Pandavas to them;

­­– he would not have permitted the atrocities that were perpetuated on the Pandavas;

­­– his progeny would not have indulged in committing cruelties;

­­– his sons would not have dared to act deceitfully with the Pandavas;

­­– they would have returned to the Pandavas their rightful share of the kingdom after their return from exile.

But moha or attachment blinds a person and Dhritrashtra also suffered the same plight.

Most sins are committed due to moha. It is due to this attachment that parents acquiesce in mistakes committed by their children and encourage sin. Had Duryodhana been somebody else’s son and the Pandavas his own sons, Dhritrashtra’s behaviour would have been quite different.

Dhritrashtra is a typical example of the parents of today. Because of moha, divine qualities are cast off, justice is imperilled and the individual ceases to discern between Truth and untruth.

It seems that Sanjay is reminding Dhritrashtra, “You are the Lord of the earth. But what have you done? Why have you let injustice prevail? You are the cause of the war.”

After the declaration of war by Lord Krishna and the Pandavas, the other warriors also blew their conches.

1. The King of Kashi – a supreme archer;

2. Shikhandi – son of Drupad and the cause of Bhishma Pitamah’s death;

3. Dhrishtadyumna, also Drupad’s son, at whose hands Dronacharya met his death;

4. Virat, in whose kingdom the Pandavas had sought refuge;

5. Satyaki, who loved Krishna and whom Arjuna taught how to fight;

6. Raja Drupad, who was Dronacharya’s sworn enemy and who had once been defeated by Arjuna;

7. Draupadi’s sons; and Subhadra’s son – Abhimanyu, of the mighty arms.