Here (in the army of the Pandavas) are great heroes, who possess very large bows and who are equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle. Among them are Yuyudhana (Satyaki), King Virata, and the great chariot-warrior Drupada. Dhrishtaketu and Chekitana, as well as the valiant king of Kashi, are also present. Purujit and Kuntibhoja—these two brothers—and Shaibya, the best among men, are also here. The mighty Yudhamanyu and the mighty Uttamaujas are also present. Subhadra's son Abhimanyu and the five sons of Draupadi are also here. All of these are great chariot-warriors.
Commentary: "Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle"—The instrument from which arrows are shot and hurled is called an "ishvasa," meaning a bow. Those who possess such large, great bows are all "maheshvasas" (mighty archers). The implication is that stringing arrows onto and drawing the bowstring of such large bows requires immense strength. An arrow drawn with great force and released inflicts significant damage. Because they possess such large bows, all of these warriors are very powerful and heroic. They are not ordinary combatants. In battle, they are equal to Bhima and Arjuna—meaning they are equal to Bhima in strength and equal to Arjuna in the skill of weaponry.
"Yuyudhana"—Yuyudhana (Satyaki) learned the science of weaponry from Arjuna. Therefore, even when Lord Shri Krishna granted the Narayani army to Duryodhana, he remained grateful and stayed on Arjuna's side; he did not go to Duryodhana's side. To plant a feeling of animosity towards Arjuna in Dronacharya's mind, Duryodhana first names Yuyudhana, Arjuna's disciple, among the great warriors. The intent is: "Just see this Arjuna! He learned to wield weapons from you alone, and you even granted him the boon that you would endeavor so that no archer equal to him would exist in the world. Thus, you have shown such affection for your disciple Arjuna, yet he, being ungrateful, stands ready to fight against you, while Arjuna's own disciple stands on his side."
[Yuyudhana did not die in the Mahabharata war; he was killed in the internecine war among the Yadavas.]
"And Virata"—"He, because of whom our side's hero Susharma was insulted, you had to be deluded by the Sammohana-astra, and we too had to abandon his cows and flee from battle—that King Virata stands against you in the opposition."
King Virata had no personal enmity or malice towards Dronacharya; however, Duryodhana thinks: "If after Yuyudhana, I name Drupada, then Dronacharya might feel that Duryodhana is inciting me against the Pandavas and particularly provoking me to fight, and is generating feelings of enmity in my mind towards the Pandavas." Therefore, Duryodhana names Virata before Drupada, so that Dronacharya may not understand my cunning and fight with particular zeal.
[King Virata, along with his three sons Uttar, Shveta, and Shankha, was killed in the Mahabharata war.]
"And Drupada, the great chariot-warrior"—"You reminded Drupada of your former friendship, yet he insulted you in the assembly by saying, 'I am a king and you are a mendicant; how can there be friendship between us?' Moreover, due to enmity, he even begot a son to kill you. That same great chariot-warrior Drupada stands in the opposition to fight you."
[King Drupada was killed by Dronacharya's hand in the war.]
"Dhrishtaketu"—"This Dhrishtaketu is such a fool that he stands ready to fight on the side of that very Krishna who killed his father Shishupala with the discus in the midst of a full assembly."
[Dhrishtaketu was killed by Dronacharya's hand.]
"Chekitana"—"The entire Yadava army is ready to fight on our side, and yet this Yadava Chekitana stands in the Pandava army!"
[Chekitana was killed by Duryodhana's hand.]
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