Geethartha Chinthane 65: Harmony in Pandavas, absent in Kauravas

Hrishikesha, the conqueror of the senses (Lord Krishna), who blew the Panchajanya, symbolizes control over the five senses. Dhananjaya, another name for Arjuna, blew the Devadatta conch. The name Dhananjaya means the one who conquers wealth (or the wealth of enemies).

Next, Bhima sounded the mighty conch that was of a size befitting his strength. The sound of Bhima’s conch was terrifying to the enemies, as it emanated from his navel. For this reason, Bhima is called Vrikodara—meaning “wolf-bellied.” This term is derived from the fearsome nature of the wolf, which is why we have the saying “the wolf is coming” and not “the tiger is coming.”

Afterwards, Yudhishthira blew his conch. Among the Pandavas, the blowing of conches symbolized harmony and coordination, but this was not the case with the Kauravas. After Bhishma’s conch was blown, neither Duryodhana nor Dushasana followed suit; instead, various others sounded their conches. Among the Pandavas, all those who blew the conch were key decision-makers, which was not the case with the Kauravas.

To win a war, coordination is more important than mere possession of weapons. This was the reason for India’s victory over Pakistan. While India had team spirit and coordination, Pakistan lacked this, despite having more weapons.

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