Bhagavad Gita 1.13 and 14

[Paramananda das]

text 13

tatah sankhas ca bheryas ca

panavanaka-gomukhah
sahasaivabhyahanyanta
sa shabdas tumulo ’bhavat

Translation

After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada
No commentary by Srila Prabhupada.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

When Bhisma blew his conch, at that time, in his army suddenly instruments and conches began to sound. Abhyahanyanta is a reflexive passive. Panava, anaka, and gomukha are types of instruments. The sound was very great as they sounded all at once.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
At this time the army of the Kauravas seeing the great eagerness of Bhishmadeva for battle, also became eager for battle and from all sides the blasting of conch shells, the blaring of trumpets and the banging of kettledrums was tumultuous.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary

Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.

Bhishma blowing his conch shell at this moment showed to Duryodhana that he had factually assumed his position as commander and chief of the Kaurava army and immediately after his thunderous blast all the soldiers of the Kauravas followed suit making many sounds and other noises in readiness. Panava means drums, anakameans kettledrums and go-mukha means blowing horns. These are all musical instruments and all these sounds combined together from the soldiers caused a great uproar.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Ramanuja

There is no commentary for this verse.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Thereafter Bhishma had sounded his conch, the tumultuous sound of conchshells, horns and kettledrums blared out suddenly from the Kaurava army trembling the hearts of the warriors; but the hearts of the warriors in the Pandava army were not trembled.

Text 14
tatah svetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
madhavah pandavas caiva
divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh

Translation
On the other side, both Lord Krishna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhishmadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Krishna and Arjuna are described as transcendental. The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side because Krishna was on the side of the Pandavas. Jayas tu pandu-putranam yesham pakse janardanah. Victory is always with persons like the sons of Pandu because Lord Krishna is associated with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Vishnu, or Lord Krishna. Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated had been donated by Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
No commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary

After the tumultuous sound coming from the Kaurava army had subsided, the Supreme Lord Krishna and Arjuna seated on a magnificent chariot intrepidly blew their conch shells powerfully igniting the Pandavas eagerness for battle as well.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary

Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.

Thereafter the Pandava army also sounded festively al the musical sounds for battle readiness and this is what is meant by the use of the word tatah.Although there were many chariots present on the battlefield the reason for mentioning the chariot of Lord Krishna and Arjuna was that this chariot by which the three worlds could be conquered was donated by Agni, the demigod of fire and was designed and built by Visvakarma the architect of the demigods and thus was especially powerful.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Ramanuja
There is no commentary for this verse.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Now in order to ignite the exaltation of the Pandava army and in response to the Kaurava army the mighty blowing by the Supreme Lord Krishna and Arjuna on their divine conch shells confidently indicates that their victory is eminent.

Srila Prabhupadas lecture for these 2 slokas are :

"People want to Be Cheated"
73/07/14 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.13-14
listen

Take a test
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
tatah sankhas ca bheryas ca
panavanaka-gomukhah
sahasaivabhyahanyanta
sa sabdas tumulo 'bhavat
[Bg. 1.13]
Translation: "After that, the conchshells, bugles, trumpets, drums and horns were all of a sudden sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous."
Prabhupada: So there are mention of various types of musical instruments. Those instruments are no longer in use. But different types of bugles, drums, kettledrums, as they use in modern days. So the same principle. By musical instruments, the soldiers are kept alive so they can fight nicely. Sa sabdas tumulo 'bhavat: "When simultaneously all the instruments were sounded, it become tumultuous." Next verse. Tatah svetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau. Read it.
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
tatah svetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
madhavah pandavas caiva
divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh
[Bg. 1.14]
Translation: "On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells."
Prabhupada: So you have seen the picture. Krsna is driving four white horses. (reads from purport:) "In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhismadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Krsna and Arjuna are described as transcendental." Krsna is transcendental. Narayanah paro 'vyaktat. Krsna is not of this material world. Krsna's body, Krsna's activities, everything of Krsna, they are transcendental. They are not of this material world. Divyam. In the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam it is said when Krsna was instructing Brahma, aham evasam evagre: [SB 2.9.33/34/35/36] "Before this material creation, I was existing." In the Vedas also, it is said, eko narayana asit. "Before creation, only Narayana was there."
So Krsna's position is always transcendental. He is not any creation of this material world. But because he comes just like a human being and acts also just like human being, those who are less intelligent, avajananti, they think of Krsna as ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Mudhah. Mudhah means asses. Or less intelligent class of men. They cannot understand Krsna's position. Krsna's position is always transcendental.
When Arjuna inquired from Him about His instruction to sun-god, Krsna said, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. This bhakti-yogam of as mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita... Bhagavad-gita is bhakti-yogam, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So this literature is also transcendental. Bhakti is also transcendental. Bhakti is not any activities of this material world. Janma karma me divyam. So bhakti is activity in relationship with Krsna. Therefore it is not material. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate, mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. Bhakti-yoga is transcendental. And because Krsna is transcendental, you cannot understand Krsna by any material method. Therefore Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. The method also is transcendental, not of this material world. So if we can understand simply these facts, that Krsna is transcendental, Krsna's name is transcendental, Krsna's form is transcendental, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Krsna's body is sac-cid-ananda, not body like this. This body is asat, acit and nirananda, just the opposite. This material body is asat. Asat means temporary. It will not exist. But Krsna's body is not like that. Krsna's body is eternal. That is cit. Sat-cit. Full of knowledge.
So less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand Krsna. Therefore sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. These indriya, these material senses, cannot speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. Srama eva hi kevalam. That is simply laboring, wasting time. Krsna should be understood as Krsna says. He can explain Himself. Nobody can explain. Because our senses are imperfect. We are deficient by four kinds of faults. We commit mistake; we are illusioned; with imperfect senses, we try to speak transcendental knowledge; therefore cheating. With imper... They will say, "Probably," "Maybe." This is the so-called scientists' language. That means imperfect knowledge. Still, they want to teach. This is cheating. Knowledge must be perfect. Then you can teach others.
So our process is to receive the perfect knowledge from the perfect source and distribute it. We don't manufacture knowledge. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is, as it is. The Bhagavad-gita is already perfect. Why shall I interpret with my imperfect senses? This is cheating. But people want to to cheated. Vancita-vancaka-sampradaya. The whole world is full of cheaters and cheated. Because we want to be cheated, there are so many cheaters. They don't want real thing. Here is the real thing, Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking personally about Himself. Why should we interpret? Does it mean that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme authority, left something unexplained to be interpreted later on by some rascals? No. But the rascals dare; they interpret. That is cheating. That is another fault. There are 640-45 editions of Bhagavad-gita. Simply cheating. Amongst them, there are big, big scholars. Not scholars. All rascals, but they cheat. They pose themselves as scholars and people want to be cheated, so they take their words. So they cannot understand Krsna. Cheated. They take the shelter of the cheaters. Therefore they are cheated.
So the maya is very strong. Maya always dictates so that we may be cheated: "Why you are taking Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Don't take. He is ordinary man. You can be also equal with Krsna. You also become God. You become also incarnation." This is going on. And people flock there because they want to be cheated. What Krsna says, they will not accept it. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam: [Bg. 18.66] "Only take to Krsna consciousness." Sarva-dharman. Because any dharma which is not approved by the Supreme Lord Krsna, that is not dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. A human being or a demigod or very exalted person cannot manufacture dharma. That is not possible. Real dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, and that real dharma is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "Just surrender unto me." This is real dharma. Surrender to Krsna and follow His instruction; your life will be perfect. Because you follow the perfect instruction, therefore you are also perfect. Simple process. To become perfect, we have to follow the perfect instruction.
So in the Bhagavad-gita there is perfect instruction. And if we take it as it is and follow it, then we become perfect. To become perfect is not very difficult job. But because we don't want to become perfect, because we want to be cheated, we do not become perfect. This is the difficulty. So we should know from the very beginning that Krsna is transcendental. And all His activities, they are all transcendental. Although Krsna appears just like ordinary human being... He does not appear like ordinary human being because Krsna, when He was three months old only, He killed the Putana raksasi. A three month's old child cannot kill such giant demon. It is not possible. Krsna, when He was six or seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. So what is the difficulty for Krsna? If Krsna can float big, big gigantic planets in the air just like cotton swab floating, so is it very difficult for Krsna to lift a mountain with His hand, with His finger? That is not difficult for Krsna. But those who want to be cheated, when Krsna shows His transcendental strength, they don't believe it, another cheating. They, they'll admit, "Oh, these are... What is called?
Devotee: Mythology.
Prabhupada: Mythology. As if Vyasadeva wrote this Srimad-Bhagavatam to put before these rascals some mythology, some imaginary things. Just see how they want to be cheated. Such an exalted personality like Vyasadeva, who has given us the Vedic literature, he presented something which is imaginary. What business He has got? Therefore sometimes these cheated people, they deny to accept that Bhagavata is written by Sri Vyasadeva. But those who are actually acaryas, those who can guide us, like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, big, big..., Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they do not say like this, that "It is mythology. It is imaginary." They accept as it is. So we have to follow these mahajana. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah dharmasya tattvam nihito guhayam [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We have to follow great personalities, acaryas. acaryavan puruso veda. One who has got, one who has taken shelter of acarya, bona fide spiritual master, he knows. Acaryavan puruso veda. Because he is receiving the right knowledge from the right source, acarya... Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Acarya means by disciplic succession. As Krsna says, disciplic succession, all the acaryas will say the same thing. They will not change, they will not interpret. They can explain. But the original fact is not distorted. That is acarya. Acarya will never say that "Krsna is material. Krsna... There was no such thing as Krsna. There was no such battle, Battle of Kuruksetra. These are all imaginary." So if we don't want to be cheated, then we should take Krsna as He is presenting Himself and as it is confirmed by the acaryas. Then our knowledge is perfect. So here it is said,
tatah svetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
madhavah pandavas caiva
divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh
Krsna and His devotee Arjuna, they are on the same platform. Therefore Madhava and Pandava. They blew Their transcendental conchshells. This is not ordinary. (reads from purport:) "The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side." This is the sounding. Divyau. They are also sounding their conchshell, even Bhisma, but that cannot be compared with the conchshells of Madhava and Pandava. Arjuna, associates, they are also equally powerful. Nobody can be associates of Krsna without being very, very much advanced. Just like fire can mix with fire, similarly water can mix with water; similarly, unless one is transcendentally advanced, he cannot be associate of Krsna. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings, gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori mane, se jay brajendra-suta-pas, Gaurangera sangi-gane.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna, and His associates, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda, sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
[I offer my obeisances to Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and all others in the line of devotion.]
All the devotees. So Narottama dasa Thakura says, "So all these associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu should be known -- they are also of the same category." Gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori mane. This word nitya-siddha is significant. Nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. There are two kinds of living entities. Nitya-baddha means ever-conditioned. Ever-conditioned means those who are in this material world, they do not know when they came in touch with this material world. Neither they do know when they will be liberated. They are called nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned. And similarly, there are nitya-siddhas. Nitya-siddhas means they never come in contact with this material world, and even they come here for some business, they do not forget their position. That is nitya-siddha. Try to understand. There are two kinds of living entities: nitya-siddha, nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddhas are within this material world. Beginning from Brahma down to a small ant, insignificant ant, they are all nitya-baddhas. Anyone who is in this material world -- nitya-baddha. And nitya-siddhas, they belong to the spiritual world. They never come in contact with this material world, and even they come for some business under the order of the Supreme Lord, they do not touch these material qualities They remain always transcendental. As Krsna remains always transcendental, even though He is in this material world, similarly, Krsna's nitya-siddha associates, they are also transcendental. They never touch this material world.
So try to understand the position of Krsna. Krsna is narayanah paro 'vyaktat, transcendental, parah avyaktat. That is purusottama-yoga in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna has said, "Anyone who has understood Me, ajam avyayam, ajam -- I never take birth in this material world, neither I am deteriorated by material contact -- he knows me perfectly." That is called purusottama. Purusa uttama. Uttama. Uttama means "not of this material world." Ut. Ut means above, and tama means this darkness. So ut-tama means "above this darkness." So uttama purusa. Purusa uttama. Purusa. Purusa means enjoyer. Prakrti means enjoyed. So actually, we are not purusa; we are prakrti. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param, jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. Apareyam, these material elements, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, bhinna me prakrtir astadha, these are separated energies, material energies of Krsna. They are also prakrti. As this material world is prakrti, similarly, there is another prakrti, Krsna gives information. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. But that is para-prakrti. So we are not purusa; we are prakrtis. Although by materially dressed, we appear to be purusa, actually, we are not purusa. Just like if you dress one woman like a man, that does mean she has become man. She is woman. Similarly, we are purusa in the sense that we are trying to imitate the supreme purusa, Purusottama. Krsna is the Supreme enjoyer. We are trying to become imitation Krsna. Just like so many rascals, they declare that "God, I am God." That is the last snare, Mayavada. First of all we try to become enjoyer like the head of the family man or a minister or this and that, so many. Everyone is trying to become head, enjoyer. And at last, being baffled in every respect, he wants to become God. This is the last snare of maya. Nobody can become God. He is Purusottama and we are prakrtis. Artificially, how we can become enjoyer? Prakrti means enjoyed. Enjoyer and... Predominator and the predominated.
So jiva-bhuta, we jivas, we are all prakrti. Purusa is only Krsna. All living entities... Visnu-tattva is purusa-tattva, and we are sakti-tattva, sakti, energy, marginal energy of Krsna. So energy is prakrti. The prakrti is not purusa. So Mayavada philosophy is wrong. They pose them as so 'ham. So 'ham "I am the same." How you can be same? In the sastra it is said that "You living entity, you are prakrti." How you can become same, you purusa. This is mistake. How prakrti, how a woman can become man? Artificially one can become. Here also so-called woman, they are also purusa. They are thinking purusa. Purusa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Everyone. Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Purusa attitude. Everyone wants to be served. Nobody wants to serve. This is the material conception of life.
So when we agree to serve, not to be served, that is liberated person. When we agree to serve only, not to be served. Not to accept service from others, but to serve others -- that is real liberation. But here the material disease is that everyone is making plan "How others will serve me." This is called maya. This is called maya. Maya means that artificially we want to be served. That is not possible. When we agree to serve... As Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us the path of liberation, jivera svarupa hoy nitya-krsna-dasa, this is our position. We are eternal servant of Krsna.
So when we engage ourself in the service of Krsna... The whole Bhagavad-gita is spoken on this basis. Arjuna was artificially declining to serve Krsna. Krsna wanted him to fight, and Arjuna was putting so many reasons, "How he could fight and kill the other side who are his kinsmen, who are nephews, who are brothers, grandfather?" This argument were being put. So that means he refused to serve Krsna. That is material condition. He was thinking in his own terms. He wanted to enjoy the family members, the so-called nephews, brothers, that "If they are killed, then what is the use of my, this kingdom?" [break] ...but people thinks that I get kingdom I enjoy myself. That is condition. But a liberated soul will take the kingdom, but it will be used for Krsna's service. That is liberated, soul.
In this way we should try to understand, Krsna, Krsna's name, Krsna's fame, Krsna's associates, Krsna's activities, all divyam, transcendental. They are not material. Therefore it is mentioned here, divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh. Divyau sankhau. The sankha used by Krsna and Arjuna, they are not ordinary sankha. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973
HOME
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
Comments : Krsna and Arjuna was bound to win this war this is easy understood and confirmed by Sanjaya before the battle of Kuruksetra:
Bhagavad Gita 18 chapter text
Text 78
yatra yogeshvarah krsno
yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
dhruva nitir matir mama
Translation
Wherever there is Krishna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion
Arjuna had single handedly defeadet the whole Kaurava army before the Kuruksetra war when he was disguised as Brhadnala,this is just one of many examples,Sanjaya told Dhrtarasta at the end of Bhagavad Gita ,you sons has no change to win this war.
Your servant
Payonidhi das