Bhagavad Gita 1.16
Spoken by Sanjaya · Verse 16 of 47
अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ॥
anantavijayaṃ rājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ / nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca sughoṣamaṇipuṣpakau
Yudhishthira, Nakula, Sahadeva — each sounding his own note in the symphony of dharma.
Word by word (4)
- nakukaḥ sahadevḥ ca
- — Nakula and Sahadeva — the twin Pandavas
- sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau
- — blew Sughosha and Manipushpaka — their named conches · Each hero has a named conch — a unique voice. The naming individualizes every warrior and gives the sound of righteousness a personal quality.
- kāśyaś ca parameṣv-āsaḥ
- — and the king of Kashi, the supreme archer
- śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ
- — and Shikhandi, the great chariot-warrior · Shikhandi is specifically mentioned because he is fated to be the instrument of Bhishma's death — a key figure in the coming battle.
Yudhishthira the just king blew his conch Anantavijaya ('endless victory'). Nakula blew his Sughosha ('pleasant sound') and Sahadeva his Manipushpaka ('jewel-blossom').
A modern analogy
The five Pandava brothers are a team with complementary strengths: Yudhishthira the moral leader, Arjuna the elite warrior, Bhima the raw power, and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva the skilled and knowledgeable. Each has a voice. None is interchangeable with the others.
Take with you
- The name 'Anantavijaya' — endless victory — is given to the righteous king, not the greatest warrior. Dharma's victory is ultimately unlimited.
- The five brothers' conches together make a complete sound — different qualities working in concert.
- Nakula and Sahadeva are often overlooked in the Mahabharata but their presence here is deliberate: every member of a righteous team has a voice.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. [4]
The King, Yudhishthira, Kunti's son, wound his great shell, Ananta-Vijaya; Nakula blew Sugosha; Sahadeva Manipushpaka. [7]
King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Each warrior has a named conch — a unique voice announcing their presence to the world.
More allied voices join — the sound of dharma's coalition builds.
One with no ego-doer-sense, whose buddhi is untainted — even while killing all these beings, kills not, is not bound.
By bhakti one truly knows what and who I am; then knowing Me truly, one enters into Me immediately.
Where yogeśvara Kṛṣṇa is, where archer Pārtha stands — there abide fortune, victory, flourishing, and steadfast dharma.
Bodies end — the soul does not. Therefore: fight.
Verse 16 of 47 · back to Chapter 1