Bhagavad Gita BG 1.12
Chapter 1, Verse 12 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
तस्य सञ्जनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः । सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान् ॥ १२ ॥
tasya sañjanayan harṣaṃ kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ siṃha-nādaṃ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṅkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpavān
Meaning
Then the powerful grandsire Bhishma, the eldest of the Kuru dynasty, roared like a lion and blew his conch loudly, bringing joy to Duryodhana.
Understanding
Bhishma responds to Duryodhana's speech not with words but with action. He blows his war conch with a roar like a lion — a signal to begin. The description 'kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ' (the eldest of the Kurus, the grandsire) and 'pratāpavān' (the mighty/glorious) remind us of Bhishma's legendary stature. By blowing his conch, Bhishma both encourages Duryodhana and formally announces the commencement of battle.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सञ्जनयन् | sañjanayan | bringing forth / generating |
| हर्षम् | harṣam | joy / delight |
| कुरुवृद्धः | kuru-vṛddhaḥ | the eldest of the Kurus |
| पितामहः | pitāmahaḥ | the grandsire |
| सिंहनादम् | siṃha-nādam | a lion's roar |
| शङ्खम् | śaṅkham | conch shell |
| दध्मौ | dadhmau | blew / sounded |
| प्रतापवान् | pratāpavān | the mighty / glorious one |
| तस्य | tasya | his / for him (Duryodhana) |
| विनद्य | vinadya | having roared / having sounded loudly |
| उच्चैः | uccaiḥ | loudly / with great noise |