Gita 01.16 – The individual conches manifest individual warrior’s virility.

 

Audio link 2: Gita 01.16 – The individual conches manifest individual warrior’s virility

 

anantavijayaṁ rājā

kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca

sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau

 

Word-for-word:

ananta-vijayam — the conch named Ananta-vijaya; rājā — the king; kuntī-putraḥ — the son of Kuntī;yudhiṣṭhiraḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira; nakulaḥ — Nakula; sahadevaḥ — Sahadeva; ca — and; sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau — the conches named Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka.

 

Translation:

King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka.

 

Explanation:

The description of the forces on the Pāṇḍavas’ side and their actions continues here. The fourteenth verse describes the Pāṇḍavas and Madhava on their chariot, the fifteenth verse shows them blowing their conchshells, and now, in the sixteenth verse, others are following suit.

 

Anantavijayaṁ rājā—Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is not yet a king. He was a king, but he had been unfairly dispossessed of his kingdom. However, even in the forest, other Pāṇḍavas, as well as the sages, would usually refer to Yudhiṣṭhira as the rightful king, recognizing that his position had been temporarily and unjustly taken from him. The name “Yudhiṣṭhira” combines “Yudhi,” meaning battle, and “ṣṭhira,” meaning one who is very strong and steadfast.

 

“Anantavijaya”—Yudhiṣṭhira’s conch is named “Ananta-vijaya,” and he is referred to as “Kuntī-putra.” The first three Pāṇḍavas were sons of Kuntī, while the remaining two, Nakula and Sahadeva, mentioned in the next line, were the sons of Mādrī. Their conches are described as “Sughoṣa” and “Maṇipuṣpaka.” Nakula and Sahadeva are said to be twins; they were born to Mādrī by the Ashwini Kumaras, who are also twins.

 

When considering the sequence or hierarchy of actual competence, skill, and martial power, Yudhiṣṭhira held administrative power as the king. However, when Duryodhana speaks about the Pāṇḍava forces, he doesn’t mention Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula, or Sahadeva at all. Instead, he mentions other warriors, such as Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, and Kāśirāja. Many other warriors are mentioned by Duryodhana, but he omits Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula, and Sahadeva.

 

Yudhiṣṭhira’s strength was not limited to his military powers. While he was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, his true strength lay in his adherence to virtue, earning him the title of “Dharmarāja.” If the Pāṇḍavas had possessed the mindset prevalent today, they would never have remained united. Each would have bragged about their own strength, leading to a fracture in their unity.

 

Certainly, if military or martial strength were the most important qualities for kṣatriyas, then either Arjuna or Bhīma would have been the leaders, not Yudhiṣṭhira. However, the Pāṇḍavas had a shared sense of commitment to each other and to Kṛṣṇa. They recognized that Yudhiṣṭhira was the eldest, but he had also earned their respect through his unwavering commitment to virtue.

 

Hence, lasting respect is not solely based on physical strength or martial skill, but on one’s overall character. Yudhiṣṭhira possessed this character, which earned him respect. Despite his younger brothers being martially more powerful than him, Yudhiṣṭhira was enthroned as the king due to his virtuous qualities.

 

However, on the battlefield, where military strength is assessed and events are described, the focus initially is on Arjuna and Bhīma blowing their conchshells. After them, the description moves to Yudhiṣṭhira and then to Nakula and Sahadeva.

 

All of these warriors had their moments of glory in the war. Yudhiṣṭhira was repeatedly targeted, especially by Droṇa, who, at Duryodhana’s request, attempted to have Yudhiṣṭhira arrested. Duryodhana’s plan was that if he could arrest Yudhiṣṭhira, he would challenge him to another gambling match. If Yudhiṣṭhira lost, he would be sent back to the forest. However, Yudhiṣṭhira had used his time in the forest wisely to learn and master gambling. As a result, if challenged to a gambling duel, he would be well-prepared to counter it and not be defeated.

 

Sahadev had taken a vow in the Kuru assembly to kill Shakuni, which he eventually did, and Nakula dealt with one of the formidable sons of Karna. In this way, each of them fought fiercely and helped Yudhiṣṭhira win the war.

 

Now, they were all blowing their conchshells to indicate their support for the cause of dharma. The Gītā’s mention of the conchshells of the important warriors also indicates how much they cherished these possessions. The conchshells were symbols of their prowess and martial might, and each warrior had a special, personalized weapon, including their own conchshell.

 

For example, each cricket bat is special to its owner, and players might change bats from time to time. While outsiders might see all bats as similar, each one has its own unique qualities and suitability for the player. Similarly, warriors have their own weapons and paraphernalia, including conchshells, which is used to invoke auspiciousness, to sound a warning to the opponent, to alert one’s own party, and thus invoke people to action.

 

The conchshells of the five Pāṇḍavas are specifically mentioned by name, along with Kṛṣṇa’s conchshell. The Gītā does not mention the conchshells of any other warriors, whether on the Kaurava side or the Pāṇḍava side, except for those of the five Pāṇḍavas. The Gītā will continue in the next verse by describing other warriors who also blew their conchshells.