Bhagavad Gita 1.15
Spoken by Sanjaya · Verse 15 of 47
पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः। पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः॥
pāñcajanyaṃ hṛṣīkeśo devadattaṃ dhanañjayaḥ / pauṇḍraṃ dadhmau mahāśaṅkhaṃ bhīmakarmā vṛkodaraḥ
Each warrior has a named conch — a unique voice announcing their presence to the world.
Word by word (9)
- pāñcajanyam
- — Panchajanya — Krishna's conch · Named after the demon Panchajana, whom Krishna killed and whose shell became his conch. In the Vishnu tradition, the conch (shankha) is one of the four divine attributes.
- hṛṣīkeśaḥ
- — Hrishikesha — Krishna (lord of the senses) · 'Hrishika' = senses; 'Isha' = lord. Krishna as the master of all senses — a profound name for the charioteer of Arjuna's chariot.
- devadattam
- — Devadatta — Arjuna's conch · Meaning 'God-given' — Arjuna's conch was a divine gift.
- dhanañjayaḥ
- — Dhananjaya — Arjuna (winner of wealth)
- pauṇḍram
- — Paundra — Bhima's conch
- dadhmau
- — blew / sounded
- mahā-śaṅkham
- — the great conch
- bhīma-karmā
- — Bhima of terrible deeds / the one who does fearful things
- vṛkodaraḥ
- — Vrikodara — Bhima (wolf-bellied / immensely strong)
Krishna sounded his conch Panchajanya. Arjuna blew Devadatta. And Bhima — fierce in battle — sounded his great conch Paundra.
A modern analogy
Think of named instruments in an orchestra, or named ships in a fleet — the naming itself is a statement of identity and commitment. Each warrior's conch has a history, a power, a meaning specific to its bearer. In modern terms: your personal 'signal' to the world — your signature, your voice, your brand — is uniquely yours.
Take with you
- The naming of conches tells us: individuality is valued even in collective action. Each person's unique contribution matters.
- Krishna's conch name (Panchajanya) is linked to a story of conquest of a demon — it is a trophy of past victory. Our current tools are often built from past struggles.
- 'Hrishikesha' — lord of the senses — is the name used for Krishna as charioteer. This name tells us: the one who masters the senses is the ideal guide.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
Hrishikesha (Krishna) blew the Panchajanya, Dhananjaya (Arjuna) the Devadatta, and Bhima of terrible deeds blew the mighty conch Paundra. [4]
Arjuna wound his horn, and Krishna blew Panchajanya — his great shell; and Bhima the wolf-bellied — blew a long blast on his war-horn. [7]
Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Dhananjaya the Devadatta; and Bhima, the doer of fearful deeds, blew the great conch Paundra. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
The divine chariot answers — Krishna and Arjuna's conches fill the sky.
Three words: 'I will not fight' — then silence. The lowest point before the teaching.
A blind king asks what happened on the battlefield — and the Gita begins.
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises — I project Myself forth. The divine responds to every crisis.
Who measures others' joy and pain by the standard of their own — seeing the same everywhere — is the supreme yogi.
Past practice carries the yogi forward involuntarily — even the yoga-inquirer surpasses the Vedic ritualist.
Verse 15 of 47 · back to Chapter 1