Bhagavad Gita BG 1.14
Chapter 1, Verse 14 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ । माधवः पाण्डवश्चैव दिव्यौ शङ्खौ प्रदध्मतुः ॥ १४ ॥
tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caiva divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ
Meaning
Then from the midst of the two armies, Krishna and Arjuna, seated in their magnificent chariot yoked with white horses, blew their divine conches.
Understanding
The Pandava response comes not from a foot soldier or a lesser warrior, but from the very centre of the battlefield — from the chariot of Krishna and Arjuna. White horses symbolise purity and divinity. Krishna is called 'Mādhava' (descended from the Madhu dynasty, or one who is the lord of all fortune), and the conches they blow are described as divine (divyau) — a clear contrast to the earthly instruments just mentioned.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| श्वेतैः | śvetaiḥ | white |
| हयैः | hayaiḥ | horses |
| स्यन्दने | syandane | chariot |
| माधवः | mādhavaḥ | Krishna (descendant of Madhu / lord of fortune) |
| दिव्यौ | divyau | divine / celestial |
| शङ्खौ | śaṅkhau | two conches |
| ततः | tataḥ | then / thereupon |
| युक्ते | yukte | yoked / harnessed (chariot) |
| महति | mahati | great / magnificent |
| स्थितौ | sthitau | standing / seated (dual — both of them) |
| पाण्डवः | pāṇḍavaḥ | the Pandava (Arjuna) |
| प्रदध्मतुः | pradadhmatuḥ | they two blew / sounded (dual) |