droṇaṁ ca bhīṣmaṁ ca jayadrathaṁ ca karṇaṁ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān mayā hatāṁs tvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān
"Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other warrior heroes—already slain by Me—you kill. Do not be distressed. Fight, and you shall conquer your enemies in battle."
What This Means:
Specific names: Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna—the hardest to kill—ARE ALREADY DEAD. You just have to go through the motions. 'Don't be distressed' (ma vyathishtha). Fight. Victory is certain.
Going Deeper:
This removes Arjuna's specific anxieties—these are the people he thought he couldn't bear to kill. Krishna says: they're already dead; you're just completing the form. Your anguish is over something already accomplished.
How To Apply This:
What you agonize over may already be decided. Your role is to participate in what's unfolding, not to believe you're determining outcomes. This can be freeing.
Key Sanskrit Terms: