Chapter 1 ; Verse 12 ; Bhagavad Gita

TEXT 12

tasya sanjanayan harsam 
kuru-vrddhah pitamahah 
simha-nadam vinadyoccaih 
sankham dadhmau pratapavan

SYNONYMS

tasya--his; sanjanayan--increasing; harsam--cheerfulness; kuru-vrddhah--the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty (Bhisma); pitamahah--the grandfather; simha-nadam--roaring sound, like a lion; vinadya--vibrating;uccaih--very loudly; sankham--conchshell; dadhmau--blew; pratapa-van--the valiant.

TRANSLATION

Then Bhisma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly like the sound of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.

PURPORT

The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Krsna was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection.