And Droṇa: among whatever warriors Arjuna has doubt, those very ones the Blessed Lord points out as slain by Himself. Of these, with Droṇa and Bhīṣma the ground of the doubt is well known. Droṇa was a teacher of the science of the bow, possessed of divine weapons, and Arjuna's own teacher in particular, most weighty. Bhīṣma was one who chose the hour of his own death, possessed of divine weapons, and he went to a single combat with Paraśurāma and was not defeated. So too Jayadratha, whose father practises austerity, vowing that whoever should make his son's head fall to the ground, that one's head too should fall. Karṇa too was possessed of the unfailing spear given by Vāsava, and was the son of the Sun, born of an unmarried girl; therefore he is pointed out by that name alone. Slay them, slain by Me, by being a mere occasion; do not be afflicted, do not feel fear of them. Fight; you will conquer in the battle your rivals, the foes, Duryodhana and the rest. Sañjaya said.

Drona, Bhishma, Karna, and the rest, who, being wrongdoers, were appointed by Me alone to the slaying, slay; you may slay them. Do not be distraught with 'how shall I slay these teachers and kinsmen, and others too, attached to enjoyments?'; do not, with regard to them, make distress out of fear of merit and demerit, out of love for kinsmen, and out of pity. Since they are wrongdoers, appointed by Me alone to the slaying, therefore, free of misgiving, fight; in the battle you will conquer your rivals, you will be victorious. In their slaying there is no taint of cruelty; rather, victory alone is gained. This is the meaning.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Because of the boon of his father, that whoever should let his severed head fall to the ground would have his own head split, Jayadratha too is named in particular. And Karna is named because of the surpassing spear given by Indra, 'the foremost spear, the Vasava weapon'.