2.4 They deserve my reverence Arjuna speaks

कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन
इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन

kathaṁ bhīṣhmam ahaṁ sankhye droṇaṁ cha madhusūdana
iṣhubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvari-sūdana

How am I to fight Bhishma and Drona with arrows, Krishna? They deserve my reverence.

Explanation

Arjuna answers the accusation with a fact.

How am I to fight Bhishma and Drona with arrows? They deserve my reverence.

He does not defend his courage; he names two specific men. Bhishma raised him and Drona taught him to shoot. The word arrows is doing the work: he is the archer they made.

Word by word

arjunaḥ uvācha: Arjun said
katham: how
bhīṣhmam: Bheeshma
aham: I
sankhye: in battle
droṇam: Dronacharya
cha: and
madhu-sūdana: Shree Krishn, slayer of the Madhu demon
iṣhubhiḥ: with arrows
pratiyotsyāmi: shall I shoot
pūjā-arhau: worthy of worship
ari-sūdana: destroyer of enemies