Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 1, Verse 12
तस्य संजनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः।
सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान्।।
सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान्।।
tasya sañjanayan harṣaṁ kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ
siṁha-nādaṁ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṅkhaṁ dadhmau pratāpavān
also searched as "tasya sanjanayan harsham kuruvriddhah pitamahah"
Translation
Then the valiant grandsire Bhisma, the senior-most of the Kuru clan, roared like a lion and blew his conch with the intention of cheering up Duryodhana.
Vāṇi's rendering
Then the grandsire Bhishma, to lift Duryodhana's heart, roared like a lion and blew his conch.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तस्यtasya | his — Duryodhana's |
| संजनयन्sañjanayan | generating, calling up in him |
| हर्षम्harṣam | cheer, gladness |
| कुरुवृद्धःkuru-vṛddhaḥ | the eldest of the Kurus |
| पितामहःpitāmahaḥ | the grandfather of them all — Bhishma |
| सिंहनादम्siṁha-nādam | a lion's roar |
| विनद्यvinadya | having sounded, having let it out (joined by sandhi to the next word) |
| उच्चैःuccaiḥ | loudly, high above the noise |
| शङ्खम्śaṅkham | his conch |
| दध्मौdadhmau | blew |
| प्रतापवान्pratāpavān | the mighty one, blazing with old strength |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 12 mean?
Bhishma, the eldest of the Kurus, hears the fear in Duryodhana's speech and answers it. He roars like a lion and blows his conch — not to threaten the Pāṇḍavas but to lift his grandson's heart. It is an act of affection that happens to be the opening move of the war.
What does 'tasya sanjanayan harsham' mean in the Gita?
It means 'generating cheer in him' — in Duryodhana. The whole grandeur of the line hangs on that small word tasya. Bhishma's roar is aimed at one anxious man, not at the enemy. The Gītā notices who a gesture is really for, long before it notices how loud it was.
Why did Bhishma blow his conch first?
Because Drona stayed silent and Duryodhana was unsteady. The oldest man on the field filled the gap with the only comfort available to him. But the conch is also a challenge, and the Kauravas sound it first. Tenderness and aggression leave the same instrument at the same moment.
What can I learn from Bhishma's roar in my own life?
That reassurance is an action with consequences. When you steady someone who is frightened, you are not only soothing them — you are permitting whatever they do next. Ask what your comfort is releasing into the world. Sometimes the kindest sound is the one that starts a war.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
Duryodhana had just finished talking, and everyone on that field could hear the fear underneath the boasting. Drona said nothing. The oldest man there answered instead — not with counsel, with noise. Bhishma loves this grandson, and love does what it can: it makes a sound to fill a silence. But notice what the kindness accomplishes. The lion-roar and the conch are the first act of the war; comfort given to a frightened man becomes a signal to armies. You will do this too — steady someone you love, and start something. Be careful what your kindness sets moving.