द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् ।मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ॥
droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca karṇaṃ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān |mayā hatāṃs tvaṃ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān ||
- द्रोणम् · droṇam
- Drona
- भीष्मम् · bhīṣmam
- Bhishma
- जयद्रथम् · jayadratham
- Jayadratha
- कर्णम् · karṇam
- Karna
- हतान् · hatān
- slain
- जहि · jahi
- strike, slay
- मा व्यथिष्ठाः · mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ
- do not tremble, do not waver
- युध्यस्व · yudhyasva
- fight
- जेता असि · jetā asi
- you shall conquer
“Drona and Bhishma, Jayadratha and Karna, and the other warrior heroes — slain by me, slay them yourself. Do not waver; fight, and you shall conquer your rivals in battle.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna names the very teachers and champions Arjuna grieved over in Chapter 1 — including Karna, still alive and formidable. Naming them 'already slain' dissolves the personal guilt that paralyzed Arjuna at the start.
— Reader's notes (original)