The political game before the battle (Bg 1.10 and 1.11)

Both Droṇācārya and Bhīṣma were important generals in the army and, being a politician, Duryodhana did not want to displease either of them. He then used a clever construction to praise both.

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Verse 10: aparyāptam tad asmākam, balam bhīṣmābhirakṣitam

paryāptam tv idam eteṣām, balam bhīmābhirakṣitam

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

Verse 11: ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu, yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ

bhīṣmam evābhirakṣantu, bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi

All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

Both Droṇācārya and Bhīṣma were important generals in the army and, being a politician, Duryodhana did not want to displease either of them. He then used a clever construction to praise both at the same time, using the sentence "aparyāptam tad asmākam balam bhīṣmābhirakṣitam" in verse ten.

The word aparyāptam has a double meaning, meaning "insufficient" or "inadequate" but also "immeasurable" or "limitless", depending on the context. In this way, his sentence simultaneously means "Our strength is immeasurable because we are protected by Bhīṣma" and "Our strength is insufficient because we are protected by Bhīṣma". When Bhīṣma heard this sentence, he took the first meaning and was therefore encouraged. Droṇācārya, on the other hand, took the second meaning, understanding that Duryodhana was glorifying him by minimizing the capacity of his rival. By his rhetorical tricks, Duryodhana was thus capable of simultaneously satisfying both.

To avoid the possibility of other generals being displeased, he ordered the others to maintain their positions in the formation and thus protect Bhīṣma from all sides, giving the idea that although powerful, Bhīṣma was old, and thus the others had the mission of protecting him. As Prabhupada mentions in his purport: "He emphasized that Bhīṣmadeva was undoubtedly the greatest hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was important that other heroes not leave their strategic positions and allow the enemy to break the phalanx."

Bhīṣma was the oldest member of the Kuru Dynasty, the son of King Śāntanu and Gangā. He was supposed to be the heir to the kingdom, but he renounced the right to allow his father to marry Satyavatī and satisfy his lust. Although a kṣatriya, he made a vow to remain celibate for his whole life, and thus received the name Bhīṣma, "One who has taken a terrible vow" and received the blessing that he would die only at the time of his choosing.

During the battle of Kurukṣetra, Bhīṣma was trespassed by numerous arrows shot by Arjuna, which formed a kind of bed, preventing his body from touching the ground when he fell. Still, because of the blessing he didn't die, remaining alive for a long time after the battle, leaving his body only in a particularly auspicious moment in the presence of Krsna, returning thus back home, back to Godhead. His passing away is narrated in the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

Bhīṣma was so powerful that he once fought Paraśurāma to a standstill. Paraśurāma had previously exterminated the kṣatriyas of the world twenty-one times, but still, he couldn't defeat Bhīṣma in battle. The story is that at a certain point, Bhīṣma kidnapped Amba to marry her to his half-brother, Vicitravīrya. However, because she was already in love with Śālva, Vicitravīrya refused to marry her. Śālva in turn also refused because she had been kidnapped by another man. Put in such a situation, she demanded Bhīṣma marry her since he was the one who created the situation by kidnapping her in the first place, but he refused because of his vow of brahmacārya. She then took shelter of Paraśurāma, who, being the martial guru of Bhīṣmadeva, promised to help her. When Bhīṣma refused to marry Amba, Paraśurāma fought with him, but after Bhīṣma held his own for twenty-three days, he had to admit that he would not be able to defeat him. Amba then practiced severe austerities with the goal of killing Bhīṣma and eventually was reborn as Śikhaṇḍī, who joined the Pāṇḍava army and was instrumental in defeating Bhīṣmadeva.

Main points in the purports of Srila Prabhupada:

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

a) Duryodhana calculates that his army is more powerful, being protected by Bhīṣmadeva, a more experienced general, and considers the forces of the Pāṇḍavas, protected by Bhīma as inferior.

"All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army."

a) After praising Bhīṣma in the previous verse, he tried to adjust the situation by emphasizing the role of the other fighters, so they would not be discouraged.

b) Although Bhīṣma and Droṇa had affection for the Pāṇḍavas, he was confident in their support because they didn't protest during the gambling match, when the Kauravas tried to disrobe Draupadī, despite her pleas in her helpless condition.

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