I am the lord of all

asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapiīśvaro’ahamahaṃ bhogī siddho’ahaṃ balavānsukhī

That rival I have struck down, and I will strike down others. I am the lord, I enjoy, I succeed, I am strong and happy.

What it means

Krishna continues the inner voice. I've defeated my rival, and I'll defeat the rest. I'm in charge. I'm successful. I'm powerful. I'm happy. It sounds confident, but it's fragile. A self built entirely on beating others needs endless new enemies to feel alive.

The story

Duryodhana has spoken like this all his life. Krishna shows Arjuna that the enemy's strength is actually a kind of emptiness.

In your life

Maybe you know someone who always had to win every argument, and slowly lost every friend. Let someone else be right today, even if you could win.