dronam ca bhismam ca jayadratham ca
karnam tathanyan api yodha-viran
maya hatams tvam jahi ma vyathistha
yudhyasva jetasi rane sapatnan

"Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle."

The Lord says that He had decided on the list of persons to be killed in the battle. Therefore, without any doubt on the result of the war, without any vacilation on whether to kill relatives and teachers, Arjuna should start fighting. In the last sloka, the Lord said that all these persons were already brought on the list for killing. Now the Lord says that He had already killed Drona, Bhishma, Jayadrata and Karna. Arjuna is perplexed, as all these persons were still standing in the battlefield to fight. What the Lord implies is that He had already taken a decision [sankalpam] to kill them all. The physical killling is to be done by Arjuna. This type of decisions many can take; but the results could be different. So, if the Lord had decided, what is the guarantee that it would prevail? For this only, the Lord had tried to make Arjuna [and all of us] to understand that He was the Sarveswara or the Supreme Lord, and everything in the Universe acted according to His willpower only. With lots of efforts He had established that everything in the Universe was His property and He was the Commander of everyoe's movement including their creation and destruction. So this doubt whether His decision would prevail or not should never crop up. Then, why not finish them off as well? The Lord decides and Arjuna has to act as a mere tool to execute that decision. So, wherever the Lord says that He had finished them off, it means that He had taken a decision to that effect. Now He reveals the names of persons in the killing list. First He mentions Drona. He is the one who taught all these people, art of fighting. An Acharya is to be accused first for the misbehaviour of students. Bhishma at least can avoid the accusation slightly as he was grand father and so could have been showing affection. But Drona was not related and he should have advised them properly. Next is Bhishma. His prowess was well known. Hastinapur would act according to his gestures. Duryodana, Karna or Sakuni would be no match for him. He should have ensured proper conduct of administartion and upheld Dharma; but he failed. While others committed mistakes before start of the battle, Jayadrata foul played in the battle in killing Abhimanyu. He fought illegally. Next was Karna. He was born as Pandava but served Kauravas and citing the superficial Dharma of remaining faithful to Duryodana, he was party to the humiliation of Draupati. Swami Pillai Lokacharya says that the preaching of Gita and Prapatti [Ultimate Surrender] was only because of Draupati. A crying Draupati was dragged in the Royal assembly by Kauravas and humiliated. Allowing that act unpunished would mean the defeat of Dharma and encouragement to Adharma. To disallow that the Lord acted as a Messenger; acted as a Chariot Driver; and, preached Gita. Bhishma, Drona and even Pandavas are all culpable. Once she cried 'Oh! Dwaraka Nilaya1 Pundarikaksha' and surrendered, they should have never remained indifferent to the cruel acts of Kauravas. They should have set aside the thinking that they had lost her in the game and so they had no rights to fight Adharma. They should have had only one objective - that of protecting the property of Sri Krishna, once she had surrendered to Him. Tatha anyan api yodha-viran =and, all the other battle warriors. Sri Krishna adds further to the list. Maya = by Me [Sri Krishna], hatam = have been killed. That is all these persons listed are decided by the Lord, to be killed in this battle. Tvam = you [Arjuna], jahi = would win, ma vyatishta = do not tremble or shiver. Arjuna should not vacilate as to whether to kill his kin and teacher, etc. Yudhyasva= fight well, sapatnan = these enemies, , rane = in this battle field, jetasi = victoriously. Once the Lord had decided on the fate of all these persons, Arjuna should have no doubts about the result of the war. These people are wicked as proved in the Draupati episode and to be proved in Abhimanyu's killing; and, so Arjuna, without any further doubt, should be ready to fight. These people are to be killed for their acts of Adharma. The papa acquired by them for evil acts, have already sealed their fate. As a tool in the hands of the Lord, therefore, Arjuna should get up and fight.
                                                                                                (continued)