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Chapter 1 · Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra · 46 verses

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Remember who is speaking. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Take the verse as He directs.
  2. 2Say the verse and its words. Read the Sanskrit, then each word with its meaning.
  3. 3Read the translation as it is. Let the translation say what it says, without adding your own meaning.
  4. 4Read the purport. Hear the verse through the disciplic succession.
  5. 5Bring your own question. Ask: where does this verse meet my life, my trouble, my doubt?
  6. 6Act on it, remembering Kṛṣṇa. Carry one instruction into your work today.
Read the full guide: how to read the Bhagavad-gītā ›
Questions & crisisChapter 1 · Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
1.161.18

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 1.17

The armies gather; conches sound

Karma · Action

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ।

नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ ॥ १६ ॥

काश्यश्च परमेष्वास: शिखण्डी च महारथ: ।

धृष्टद्युम्न‍ो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्‍चापराजित: ॥ १७ ॥

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वश: पृथिवीपते ।

सौभद्रश्च महाबाहु: शङ्खान्दध्मु: पृथक्पृथक् ॥ १८ ॥

anantavijayaṁ rājā

kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca

sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau

kāśyaś ca parameṣv-āsaḥ

śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ

dhṛṣṭadyumno virāṭaś ca

sātyakiś cāparājitaḥ

drupado draupadeyāś ca

sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate

saubhadraś ca mahā-bāhuḥ

śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak pṛthak

Translation

King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

3 study points

Conchshells and a Warning

  1. 1

    The King of Kāśī, Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, and Sātyaki blew their conchshells.

  2. 2

    Sañjaya tactfully told Dhṛtarāṣṭra that his policy was unwise: he had deceived the sons of Pāṇḍu and sought the throne for his own sons.

  3. 3

    The signs showed that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in battle, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was responsible for this disaster because he encouraged his sons’ policy.

Key points from the purport

These notes cover verses 1.13–18

All Pandavas blew conchshells and all other instruments that made a tumultuous sound

NAMES OF DIFFERENT CONCHSHELLS:

S. No Warriors Conchshell

1

Krishna Panchajanya

2

Arjuna Devadatta

3

Yudhishtara Anantavijaya

4

Bhima Paundra

5

Nakula Sughosa

6

Sahadeva Manipushpaka

Text 1.14 purport is covered under the main theme ‘Signs of Victory of Pandavas’ above. Purports for Texts 1.15 to 1.18 are presented in the ‘Focus of Learning’ sections below

a

Message announced by conchshells — Blowing of conchshells announced the message that Kauravas were predestined to lose the battle

b

Importance of names

Hrsikesha

Owner of all senses / senses of living entities are part and parcels of His senses

Impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living entities and they are always anxious to describe the living entities as sense-less or impersonal

Lord as Paramatma directs the senses according to the surrender of the living entity

Directly controls transcendental senses of a pure devotee like Arjuna

Govinda – Pleasure-giver to cows and senses

Dhananjaya – Arjuna helped elder brother to fetch wealth for different sacrifices

Vrkodara – Eat as voraciously as he could do herculean tasks (Bhima)

Few other names explained – Madhusudana / Vasudeva / Devaki-nandana / Yasoda- nandana / Partha-sarthy (Read 1.15 purport) FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 1.16 — 1.18

a

Sanjaya very tactfully informed King Dhrtarashtra of the following points through all the above mentioned verses:

His unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pandu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons was not very laudable

All the signs indicate that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed

From the grandsire Bhisma to the grandson Abhimanyu, and all the kings of all states were doomed

And Dhrtarashtra was the cause of the whole catastrophe because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons

Further reading

Introduction

Chapter 1, section I: Introduction
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ananta-vijayamthe conch named Ananta-vijaya
  2. rājāthe king
  3. kuntī-putraḥthe son of Kuntī
  4. yudhiṣṭhiraḥYudhiṣṭhira
  5. nakulaḥNakula
  6. sahadevaḥSahadeva
  7. caand
  8. sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakauthe conches named Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka
3

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: saṁśaya, viṣāda.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 1.17 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to questions & crisis?

Practice

Write down the real question behind your current dilemma.

5

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 1 ›
6

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 1.1The armies gather; conches soundBG 1.2The armies gather; conches soundBG 2.7The moment Arjuna becomes a discipleBG 6.34The restless mind
Live this todayThe Soft Heart of a DevoteeA practice from BG 1.28, close to this verse

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 4 of 9 · 10 minChapters & storiesGo chapter by chapter, with the Mahābhārata stories that explain what is happening.Back · LearnPrabhupāda's Introduction