Gita 01.15 – Explanation 2

Gita 01.15 – The top trio in the Pandava army start the action

Audio link 2: Gita 01.15 – The top trio in the Pandava army start the action

pāñcajanyaṁ hṛṣīkeśo

devadattaṁ dhanañ-jayaḥ

pauṇḍraṁ dadhmau mahā–śaṅkhaṁ

bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ

Word for word: 

pāñcajanyam — the conchshell named Pāñcajanya; hṛṣīka–īśaḥ — Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa, the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees); devadattam — the conchshell named Devadatta; dhanam–jayaḥ — Dhanañjaya (Arjuna, the winner of wealth); pauṇḍram — the conch named Pauṇḍra; dadhmau — blew; mahā–śaṅkham — the terrific conchshell; bhīma–karmā — one who performs herculean tasks; vṛka–udaraḥ — the voracious eater (Bhīma).

Translation: 

Lord Kṛṣṇa blew His conchshell, called Pāñcajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhīma, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Pauṇḍra.

Explanation:

In verse 1.15 of the Bhagavad Gita, the focus shifts to the Pandava side. The previous verse describes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, referred to as Madhava and Pāṇḍava, seated on their magnificent chariot (“mahati syandane sthitau”). Now, the narrative gives a closer look before shifting to the next person.

“Pāñcajanyaṁ hṛṣīkeśo” — Kṛṣṇa is addressed as “Hṛṣīkeśa” here. “Hrishik” means senses and “isha” means the Lord or controller, so Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of the senses. This title indicates that Kṛṣṇa is the master of both material and spiritual energies. The senses, composed of material elements, also fall under Kṛṣṇa’s domain, as He is the proprietor of everything, including the senses. With a good master, the servant is happy; without one, the servant is often miserable. Our senses are happiest when they are with their master, Kṛṣṇa. While the senses may seek pleasure, it often comes with a heavy cost—brief pleasure followed by much misery. Through sense gratification, the cycle of birth and death continues, bringing great suffering. However, when we serve Kṛṣṇa, even the senses experience greater pleasure. For instance, the pleasure we derive from eating is limited — we can only eat so much and for so long in a day. However, if we develop a taste for glorifying Kṛṣṇa by speaking and chanting about Him, we can find immense satisfaction. As Rupa Goswami says, “no jāne janitā kiyadbhir, amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayī,” meaning, “I do not know how much nectar is in these two holy names, these two syllables, Kṛṣ, ṇa.”

The senses, when used to serve the master of the senses, give lasting satisfaction. That Lord is “Hṛṣīkeśa,” and He has a conchshell named “Pāñcajanya.” The paraphernalia like Shankha, Chakra, Gadha, and Padma are eternally associated with Viṣṇu, and since Kṛṣṇa is the source of Viṣṇu, these are always possessed by Him. However, when He descends into this world, He often engages in pastimes where, through specific situations, He obtains certain things in particular circumstances.

There was a demon named Pāñcajanya who was reputed to have abducted Sāndīpani Muni’s son when he went to bathe in the ocean. This demon lived deep underwater, so Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma ventured beneath the ocean to confront him. Kṛṣṇa fought and overpowered the demon, Pāñcajanya, killing him. Different interpretations of the story exist; one suggests that Pāñcajanya had a conch that served as his crown, symbolizing his pride, or that he protected himself within a giant conch shell, which he could use to change shape. Regardless of the interpretation, the essential point is that Kṛṣṇa, in His earthly pastimes, obtained the conch by defeating Pāñcajanya. In His eternal pastimes in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa always possesses the conch, but in this leela, He performs such pastimes to reunite not only with His eternal associates but also with His eternal paraphernalia. This paraphernalia is considered personified and is thus also seen as His associates.

“Devadattaṁ Dhanañ-jayaḥ” — “Dhanañjaya,” there is much creativity available to poets when a person has many names. Depending on the poetic impulse, different names can be used to glorify or refer to the Lord or His devotees. Here, Sañjaya refers to Arjuna using the name “Dhanañjaya,” which means “one who is the possessor, obtainer, or gainer of wealth.” This name might seem anachronistic since it typically refers to one who acquires wealth, yet in this context, it is used poetically to refer to Arjuna.

The story goes that when Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja wished to perform the Aśvamedha yajna, he faced financial constraints. Earlier, he had conducted the Rājasūya yajna at the beginning of his reign, which triggered Duryodhana’s envy and led to the ill-fated gambling match that resulted in their exile. After winning the great war, Yudhiṣṭhira wanted to perform the Aśvamedha yajna. At that time, due to the major war that had just taken place, the kingdom was severely short on funds. Yudhiṣṭhira had generously arranged relief for all the victims of the war, including the widows of the slain warriors, their children, and for the overall reconstruction of the city and kingdom—not just in terms of physical structures, but also in terms of social and economic structures. The kingdom had been devastated by the massive Kurukṣetra war and the huge toll it took. First, the war itself significantly impacted the economy, and afterward, the rehabilitation efforts also required considerable resources.

Yudhiṣṭhira wanted to perform the Aśvamedha yajna to invoke auspiciousness for his kingdom, but he lacked adequate funds for the sacrifice. In this context, it was said that a long time ago, a king named Marut had pleased Lord Śiva, who blessed him with a mountain of gold. King Marut used this wealth to create plates, utensils, and other items to donate to priests attending his sacrifice. Despite the lavishness of these offerings, a significant amount of gold remained, lying in a remote and inaccessible northern region.

When Yudhiṣṭhira came to know about this, Arjuna agreed to go there and retrieve the wealth. It is commonly said that this is how Arjuna got the name “Dhanañjaya.” However, if that were the origin of the name, then how could Arjuna have had this name at a time when the event that supposedly gave him the name had not yet occurred?

Actually, the important point is that Arjuna was given not just one, but a dozen names. He mentions his various names even to Bhuminjaya before the Virata Yudha because Bhuminjaya is unsure whether Brihannala, the dance teacher for his sister, is actually Arjuna. Bhuminjaya asks Arjuna to provide proof of his identity, and one of the proofs he requests is whether Arjuna knows all his names. Arjuna recites all those names, including Dhanañjaya. This indicates that Arjuna had that name even at that time. The point is that these names did not originate through particular actions; rather, the names became prominent due to those actions. One of Arjuna’s names, Dhanañjaya, was given to him right from birth. Dhanañjaya is a standard name in Vedic culture; and Arjuna was a person who acquired the wealth of puṇya through austerity, received the darshan of the lokapalas, ascended to heaven in his very body, and gained the wealth of bhakti due to devotion to Krishna. Hence, he was truly a wealthy person. The name is prominently associated with a particular pastime. When he obtained the gold to help Yudhiṣṭhira during an economic crisis, this action highlighted the name, but it did not originate it. The name existed before this event. Arjuna also had a conchshell named Devadatta, which he blew.

“Pauṇḍraṁ dadhmau mahā–śaṅkhaṁ” — Pauṇḍra was the name of Bhīma’s conchshell. Bhīma was a formidably powerful person, and his body was so robust that, as a small baby, he once fell from a mountain cliff while sleeping on his mother Kuntī’s lap. Kuntī, napping near a cliff with her husband by her side, was startled awake by the roar of a distant lion. In her shock, the baby fell off the cliff. Pāṇḍu charged down as quickly as he could, praying for some chance of survival. To his surprise, Bhīma was alive and lying there comfortably, while the rock where he had fallen had shattered to pieces! Bhīma was not only strong but also had a massive body. When the Pāṇḍavas, along with Kuntī, were in the forest for the first time after the burning of Varnavrat, the rest of the Pāṇḍavas and Kuntī were exhausted. Bhīma actually carried them all on his body, demonstrating his enormous strength. As he was powerful, his conch was also powerful — it was a super-sized conch. The phrase “pauṇḍraṁ dadhmau mahā–śaṅkhaṁ” indicates that in proportion to his size, he had a conch of a commensurate size, with the word “mahā–śaṅkhaṁ” highlighting the special size of the conch.

“Bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ” — it’s interesting that although the name Bhīma is mentioned in this verse, it does not refer to him directly. Instead, he is referred to here by the name “vṛkodaraḥ.” “Udara” means belly and “vruka” means wolf. A wolf is not generally considered a complimentary epithet, as wolves are often seen as evil creatures. So, why would someone be referred to as “wolf-bellied”? The point here is not about disposition but about consumption. Wolves are known for their voracious appetites, and similarly, Bhīma had a tremendous appetite. Therefore, “bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ” describes Bhīma as having a belly with a voracious appetite, capable of consuming large amounts.

In fact, after Draupadī married the five Pāṇḍavas, she wanted to serve her husbands. While she was in the small cottage where the Pāṇḍavas were living incognito (they had not yet regained their kingdom at the time of Draupadī’s swayamvar), Dṛṣṭadyumna came to see who these people were and what family Draupadī had married into through the swayamvar. He was watching through the window and saw that Kuntī instructed Draupadī on how to serve. She said that whatever food they received should first be divided into two halves, with one half given to Bhīma. Kuntī said this, and Draupadī, having heard her, smiled. Both of them were trying to conceal their smiles. Bhīma was a giant person with a giant appetite. Kuntī instructed Draupadī to take the remaining food and divide it into five additional halves; now that she was there, they would divide it into six portions.

Bhīma had a voracious appetite. Consuming a large amount of food is no disqualification for devotion. For those devotees who have a hearty appetite, they can look to Bhīma as their acharya. Of course, an acharya is not just defined by his eating; an acharya is an exemplar in both actions and service to Kṛṣṇa, as emphasized in the term “bhīma-karmā.” When Prabhupāda was asked about devotees with a big appetite, he responded that it is fine to eat if you are hungry, but after eating, you should not go to sleep. Instead, use the energy gained from eating to serve Kṛṣṇa more and more.

Though “vṛkodaraḥ” might seem uncomplimentary at first glance, it actually reflects Bhīma’s immense appetite in a factual manner. Despite this, it is not a sign of greed, as Bhīma used his substantial energy for service. His name, “bhīma-karmā,” highlights his remarkable ability to undertake tasks that others would find exceedingly difficult. Bhīma caused significant damage to the Kaurava camp, second only to Arjuna. In fact, Bhīma killed all one hundred Kaurava brothers, which could suggest he inflicted even greater damage than Arjuna. Regardless, he was one of the most formidable warriors. However, the Bhagavad Gita itself makes only brief references to Bhīma, with no further mentions after this initial reference. Generally, the Bhagavad Gita does not focus on individual characters beyond the first chapter, but it is noteworthy that Bhīma also fought very fiercely.

Bhīma, known for his incredible strength and prowess, could fight fiercely and perform Herculean deeds, often using just his fists. For instance, during their incognito period, when a battle was about to start and the Pāṇḍavas had to defend themselves, Bhīma immediately went towards a sal tree, intending to uproot it and use it as a weapon. Yudhiṣṭhira intervened, cautioning him that such a display of strength would reveal his identity, as only Bhīma was capable of such a feat. To maintain their anonymity, Yudhiṣṭhira urged Bhīma to use less conspicuous objects. This incident highlights Bhīma’s formidable strength and his capacity for heroic deeds, earning him the title ‘bhīma-karmā’.

Thank you.