Duryodhana while witnessing the strength of the Pāṇḍavas army supported by the might of Bhīmā weighed his own armies strength under the command of Bhīshma

and perceiving the mood of his preceptor Droṇāchārya, he could understand the inadequacy in his own troops and the perfection of strength on the Pāṇḍavas side to be victorious and internally this aggrieved him heavily.

Bhīshma seeing all this gave a roar like a lion and blew a mighty, reverberating blast on his conch-shell which was followed by a tumultuous beating of drums, blaring of horns and blasting of conch-shells as if indicative of the victory in order to cheer up Duryodhana.

Immediately upon hearing this Lord Krishna and Arjuna seated in their majestic chariot capable of conquering all the worlds; both seized their conch-shells and reverberated a sound that shook all the worlds.

Thereafter Bhīmā, Yudhisṭhīra, Nākula and Sahadeva and the rest of the mahā-rathas of the Pāṇḍava army blew their conch-shells

and the roar which was heard cleaved the hearts of Duryodhana and the army of the Kaurāvas and in their hearts they felt that the battle was already lost.

Thus did Sanjaya narrate to Dhritarāshtra whose only concern was for the success of his son Duryodhana and the Kaurāvas in the battle.

14 "Thereupon, seated in an ample chariot with white steeds yoked, (Kṛṣṇa, the) Mādhava and (Arjuna, the) Pāṇḍava blew forth their celestial conches: 15 "Hṛṣīkeśa (=Kṛṣṇa) blew the Pāñcajanya and Dhanamjaya (=Arjuna) the Devadatta. Vṛkodara (=Bhīma) of terrific deeds blew his great Paundra conch; 16 "King Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Kuntī (blew) the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva (respectively) the Sughoṣa and the Manipuṣpaka. (137)

While such was the state in the heavens at seeing this panic, hear what took place on this side in the Pāṇḍava army. How can one adequately describe the chariot which was the very soul of victory and the very store of intense splendour; the chariot had four horses (powerful like Garud) harnessed to it. Such a chariot appeared like a winged Meru (mountain) and brightened all the ten directions with its powerful lustre. How to describe fully the qualities of such a chariot of which Lord Krishna of Vaikuntha had himself become the charioteer (coachman)? Māruti—God Shankara incarnate—was guarding the flag staff while God Shārangdhar was the charioteer with Arjuna in the chariot. Just see and admire the Lord: how wonderful is his affection for his devotees and in consequence how he is doing the charioteer's duties towards Pārtha? Lord Krishna placed his devotee at his back; himself remaining in the forefront easily he blew his conch named Pāñcajanya. As the dreadful sound of the conch was awfully going round it drowned and made inaudible the sounds of the martial music sounded in the Kaurav Army, just as the stars become invisible with the rise of the Sun. Simultaneously Pārtha sounded his own conch Devadatta making a great noise. Just as the sounds of both these wonderful conches blended together it was felt as if the universe was being pounded into hundreds of pieces. Just then Bhīmasena got enthused as if the great Destroyer had excited him and he blew his own big conch named Poundra. It created a dreadful thunder just as the clouds do at the dissolution of the world; Yudhiṣṭhira sounded his own conch named Anantavijaya; so also Nakula his own named Sughosha and Sahadev Manipushpa.

'Anantavijayaṁ rājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ nakulaḥ sahadevaśca sughoṣamaṇipuṣpakau'—Arjuna, Bhīma and Yudhiṣṭhira—the three were Kuntī's sons while Nakula and Sahadeva were Mādrī's sons. So the adjective 'Kuntīputra' (Kuntī's sons) has been used for Yudhiṣṭhira.

Yudhiṣṭhira has been called a king because he was the ruler of half of the Indraprastha kingdom before exile and according to the promise and the law, he should have been a king after living in exile for twelve years and one year's incognito residence. Moreover, by calling him a king, Sañjaya wanted to hint that he would be the king of the entire territory afterwards.

तो महाप्रलयजलधरु । जैसा घडघडिला गंहिरु । तंव अनंतविजयो युधिष्ठिरु । आस्फुरित असे ॥ १४९॥

नकुळें सुघोषु । सहदेवे मणिपुष्पकु । जेणें नादें अतंकु । गजबजला असे ॥ १५०॥

(1.137) यह कोलाहल देखकर स्वर्ग में जब यह हाल हुआ तब पाण्डवों के दल में क्या हो रहा था?

(1.138) जो मानों विजयश्री का सारभूत अथवा सूर्य के तेज का भाण्डार है, जिसमें गरुड़ की बराबरी करनेवाले चार घोड़े जुते हैं।

(1.139) अथवा जो सपक्ष मेरु पर्वत के समान दिखाई देता है वह रथ वहाँ शोभा दे रहा था। उसके तेज से चारों दिशाएँ भर गई थीं।

(1.140) जिस रथ का सारथी वैकुण्ठ का राजा था उसके गुणों का मैं क्या वर्णन करूँ।

(1.141) अर्जुन के ध्वजस्तंभ पर हनुमान विराजे हैं। वह स्वयं मूर्तिमान् शंकर है और श्रीकृष्ण उसके सारथी हैं। (1.142) उस प्रभु का नवल भक्तप्रेम देखिए कि वह पार्थ का सारथीपन कर रहा है,

(1.143) तथा सेवक को पीछे रख आप आगे हो खड़ा है। उसने सहज-लीला से अपना पाञ्चजन्य शंख फूँका।

(1.144) उसका महाघोष गम्भीरता से गरजने लगा। सूर्य उदय होते ही जैसे नक्षत्रों का लोप हो जाता है,

(1.145) वैसे ही महाघोष होते ही कौरव-सेना में रणवाद्य चहुँओर गरज रहे थे वे न जाने कहाँ लुप्त हो गये।

(1.146) फिर देखिए, अर्जुन ने भी बड़ी गर्जना के साथ देवदत्त नामक शंख बजाया।

(1.147) उस समय दोनों अद्भुत ध्वनियाँ इकट्ठी मिलते ही सब ब्रह्माण्ड मानों टुकड़े-टुकड़े होने लगा।

(1.148) तब भीमसेन को भी आवेश चढ़ा और उसने महाकाल के समान क्षुब्ध हो पौण्ड्र नामक महाशंख बजाया।

(1.149) वह प्रलयकाल के मेघ के समान गम्भीरता से गड़गड़ा रहा था। इतने में युधिष्ठिर ने अनन्तविजय नामक शंख फूँका।

(1.150) नकुल ने सुधोष और सहदेव ने मणिपुष्पक शंख फूँके

‘अनन्तविजयं राजा...सुघोषमणि- पुष्पकौ’—अर्जुन, भीम और युधिष्ठिर—ये तीनों कुन्तीके पुत्र हैं तथा नकुल और सहदेव—ये दोनों माद्रीके पुत्र हैं, यह विभाग दिखानेके लिये ही यहाँ युधिष्ठिरके लिये ‘कुन्तीपुत्र’ विशेषण दिया गया है।

युधिष्ठिरको ‘राजा’ कहनेका तात्पर्य है कि युधिष्ठिरजी

वनवासके पहले अपने आधे राज्य-(इन्द्रप्रस्थ-)के राजा थे, और नियमके अनुसार बारह वर्ष वनवास और एक वर्ष अज्ञातवासके बाद वे राजा होने चाहिये थे। ‘राजा’ विशेषण देकर संजय यह भी संकेत करना चाहते हैं कि आगे चलकर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर ही सम्पूर्ण पृथ्वीमण्डलके राजा होंगे।

* सर्वाञ्जनपदाञ्जित्वा वित्तमादाय केवलम्। मध्ये धनस्य तिष्ठामि तेनाहुम् धनञ्जयम् ॥ (महाभारत, विराट ४४। १३)