Arjuna said: How shall I fight with arrows against Bhīṣma and Droṇa in battle, oh Madhusūdana? They are worthy of worship, oh slayer of enemies

Arjuna responds not with submission but with genuine question. His dilemma is not fear but pūjārhau (worthy of worship/adoration) — venerable teachers. They are not enemies (ari) but spiritual guides.

The structure is revealing: katham (how?) — a question of method, not total negation. He still seeks a way. But the objects are specific: Bhīṣma (grandfather, symbol of sacrifice) and Droṇa (archery teacher, who made him what he is).

Madhusūdana and Ari-sūdana (slayer of enemies) are epithets applied to Kṛṣṇa and now implicitly to Arjuna — tragic irony. How can they be slayers of enemies if the “enemies” are venerable?