Bhagavad Gita BG 1.15
Chapter 1, Verse 15 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः । पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः ॥ १५ ॥
pāñcajanyaṃ hṛṣīkeśo devadattaṃ dhanañjayaḥ pauṇḍraṃ dadhmau mahā-śaṅkhaṃ bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ
Meaning
Krishna blew His conch called Panchajanya; Arjuna blew his conch Devadatta; and Bhima, the doer of formidable deeds, blew his great conch Paundra.
Understanding
Each great warrior's conch had its own name and mythology. Panchajanya (Krishna's) was obtained from the demon Panchajana killed in the ocean. Devadatta (Arjuna's) was a gift from the gods. Paundra (Bhima's) was named after the Paundra kingdom. Three names for three different people appear here: Hrishikesha (master of the senses, for Krishna), Dhananjaya (winner of wealth, for Arjuna), and Vrikodara (wolf-bellied, for Bhima — reflecting his enormous appetite and strength).
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पाञ्चजन्यम् | pāñcajanyam | Panchajanya (Krishna's conch) |
| हृषीकेशः | hṛṣīkeśaḥ | Krishna (master of the senses) |
| देवदत्तम् | devadattam | Devadatta (Arjuna's conch, gift of the gods) |
| धनञ्जयः | dhanañjayaḥ | Arjuna (winner of wealth) |
| वृकोदरः | vṛkodaraḥ | Bhima (wolf-bellied) |
| दध्मौ | dadhmau | blew / sounded (his conch) |
| पौण्ड्रम् | pauṇḍram | Paundra — Bhima's conch (named after Paundraka) |
| महाशङ्खम् | mahā-śaṅkham | the great conch |
| भीमकर्मा | bhīma-karmā | doer of fearsome deeds (Bhima's epithet) |