Here Lord Krishna is very directly consoling Arjuna that he should stand up and catch the Time and claim success and glory. Whatever be the might and strength of the negative forces, the all-consuming Might-of-Change has already destroyed them all, and Arjuna has only to come forward, act the part of a hero and claim the crown of victory all to himself: “I HAVE ALREADY SLAIN THEM, BE MERELY AN APPARENT CAUSE, YOU, O LEFT-HANDED ARCHER.”

In fact, to every thinking man, the truth is obvious that in life, he is at best only an instrument in His hands. We are not generally ready to accept this proposition, because, the self-arrogating ego-sense in us will not easily retire so as to allow the Divine in us to play out in all its omnipotence. Everywhere, in all our activities, when we analyse each one of our actions, we find that our actual contribution in them all is a meagre share, compared to what nature has applied, and what the unseen hand has achieved for us. At best, we can only combine things that already exist, and coax out of their own natural qualities and properties, a certain result, and then claim vainly that we have created something new.

The radio, the aeroplane, the roaring engines, the subtle machinery, the wonder-drugs, in short, the entire “Brave New World,” and all its achievements in progress — are all nothing but the play of children in the lap of the Lord who, in fact, is the One who has ordered and allowed us to have electricity, iron, ether, air, etc., with their special properties. Without these, no achievement is ever possible; and achievements are nothing but intelligent acts of the assembling and reassembling of these very God-given things.

The concept of self-surrender and the theory of serving the world in constant awareness of the Lord, are not idle dreams prescribed for escaping the gross realities of the world. It is essential for man to raise his calibre and temper so as to work efficiently and achieve success in the world. It is the technique of keeping oneself constantly in a mood of tireless enthusiasm and joyous inspiration.

The world is too much with the ego. To the extent the ego is surrendered in the awareness of the greater and the nobler, to that extent, the entire world and achievements therein become a game of simple and sure success everywhere. Earlier in the Geeta, it was, at many points, strictly pointed out that through the technique of self-surrender, the greater possibilities can be milked out of us. The same idea is again repeated here. The entire army has been invited here only to play the part of the hero — serve as His Instruments and let them claim for themselves the crown and the glory as their wages.

Arjuna had certain reasons why he should be particularly afraid of some of the top men in the Kaurava forces. They are taken up one by one and the Lord indicates how even they have already been killed by the All-consuming Time-Spirit.

Drona was Arjuna’s teacher who taught him the art of archery. The Acharya had with him some special weapons and he was particularly revered and respected by Arjuna. The grandsire Bhishma had his death at his command, and he too had very powerful celestial weapons. Once in the past Bhishma had made Parashurama lick the ground. Jayadratha was invincible; for, his father who was engaged in tapas, had firmly resolved that “whoever causes my son’s head to drop down on earth, his head too shall fall.” Karna also had a powerful missile given to him by Indra. It becomes clear now why these four names are particularly enumerated by the Lord in the list of personalities that Time had already devastated. Even these great warriors have been eliminated by the Principle-of-Destruction, and thereby, it has been brought home to Arjuna that the field is clear for him to play his part and advance towards the throne and crown, and claim the entire glory is his own.

IT IS NATURAL THAT, WHEN A BURNING DESIRE IN AN INDIVIDUAL IS FULFILLED, HE SUDDENLY BURSTS INTO AN IRRESISTIBLE GLORIFICATION OF HIS KINDLY PATRON:

By saying, ‘who have been killed by Me,’ the Lord names Drona and those very warriors with regard to whom Arjuna had (his) doubts. Now then, uncertainty with regard to Drona and Bhisma is well-founded. Drona was the teacher of the science of archery, and was equipped with heavenly weapons; and particularly, he was his (Arjuna’s) own teacher and most respected. Bhisma was destined to die at will, and possessed heavenly weapons. He fought a duel with Parasurama and remained unvanquished. So also Jayadratha-whose father was performing an austerity with the idea that anyone who made his son’s head fall on the ground would have even his own head fall. Since Karna also was equipped with an unerring spear given by Indra, and was a son of the Sun, born of a maiden (Kunti), therefore he is referred to by his own name itself. As a mere instrument, tvam, you; jahi, destory them; who have been hatan, killed; maya, by Me. Ma, do not; vyathisthah, be afraid of them. Yuddhyasva, fight. Jetasi, you shall conquer; the sapatnan, enemies-Duryodhana and others; rane, in battle.