Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 16

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit verse

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ।
नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ ॥

Transliteration

anantavijayaṃ rājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ .
nakulaḥ sahadevaśca sughoṣamaṇipuṣpakau ॥

Meaning

King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the conch Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva blew Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

Word meanings

अनन्तविजयम् – the conch named Anantavijaya
राजा – the king
कुन्तीपुत्रः – son of Kunti
युधिष्ठिरः – Yudhishthira
नकुलः – Nakula
सहदेवः – Sahadeva
च – and
सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ – the conches Sughosha and Manipushpaka

Anvaya (word order)

कुन्तीपुत्रः राजा युधिष्ठिरः अनन्तविजयम्, नकुलः सहदेवः च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ (दध्मुः) ।

Explanation

For Yudhishthira, eldest of the Pandavas, Sanjaya uses two epithets: 'king' and 'son of Kunti'. Calling him king is meaningful; before Dhritarashtra himself, Sanjaya makes clear who the rightful ruler is by dharma. Yudhishthira had performed the Rajasuya sacrifice and attained imperial status; his kingdom was taken from him by deceit in the game of dice.

'Son of Kunti' recalls the austerity and endurance of his mother. Yudhishthira was born of Dharma, the god of righteousness, and for his devotion to truth he is known as Dharmaraja. His conch is Anantavijaya, 'endless victory'. The name suggests that the victory of dharma never comes to an end.

Nakula and Sahadeva were the twin sons of Madri, born of the divine Ashvins. Nakula was famed for his beauty and his mastery of horses, Sahadeva for his learning, astronomy and statecraft. Nakula's conch was Sughosha, 'sweet and resonant', and Sahadeva's was Manipushpaka, 'jewel-flowered', shining like gems and blossoms.

Thus the conches of all five Pandavas are described. Each name fits the nature of its owner: endless victory for righteousness, a sweet resonance for beauty, and a gem-like radiance for wisdom.

Context

The previous verse described the conches of Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima; this one completes the five Pandavas. The next two verses tell of the conches of the other kings and warriors of the Pandava side.

Life lesson

True authority is established by dharma, not by force or fraud; that is why even the exiled Yudhishthira is called 'king'. Only a victory founded on dharma is endless.

Key terms

Anantavijaya: Yudhishthira's conch; 'endless victory'
Sughosha: Nakula's conch; 'sweet-sounding'
Manipushpaka: Sahadeva's conch; 'jewel-flowered'
Yudhishthira: eldest Pandava, Dharmaraja, embodiment of truth