O Duryodhana of wicked intellect, I wish to see all these kings assembled here in this army, who are eager to fight and desirous of doing what is pleasing to you in this war.
Commentary: By calling Duryodhana 'wicked-intellect', Arjuna indicates that this Duryodhana has, until now, hatched many kinds of schemes to destroy us. He has made many efforts to insult us. According to law and justice, we are entitled to half the kingdom, yet he wishes to usurp even that and is unwilling to give it. Such is his wicked intellect; and these kings who have come here desire to do what is pleasing to him in this war! Truly, it is the duty of friends to perform such actions and give such counsel by which their friend's welfare is secured in this world and the next. But these kings, instead of purifying Duryodhana's wicked intellect, wish to increase it further. By making Duryodhana fight and by assisting him in the war, they wish only to bring about his downfall. The implication is that they are not even considering what constitutes Duryodhana's real welfare; by what means he would obtain the kingdom, and by what means his afterlife would be set right. If these kings had advised him, saying, "Brother, at the very least, keep half the kingdom for yourself and give the Pandavas their half," then Duryodhana would have retained half the kingdom and his afterlife would have been set right as well.
"Let me see those who have assembled here, eager to fight." Let me just see these who are so impatient for battle! They have taken the side of unrighteousness and injustice; therefore, they will not be able to stand before us and will be destroyed.
The implication of saying "eager to fight" is that their minds are filled with excessive desire for war. So, let me see who these people are.
Connection: Having heard Arjuna speak thus, Sanjaya describes in the next two verses what the Lord did.
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