Shloka 12
भीमसेन–कर्णयुद्धवर्णनम्
Description of the Bhīmasena–Karṇa Engagement
देवदत्तं च कौन्तेय: पाउ्चजन्यं च केशव: । शब्दस्तु देवदत्तस्य धनंजयसमीरित:
devadattaṃ ca kaunteyaḥ pāñcajanyaṃ ca keśavaḥ | śabdastu devadattasya dhanañjaya-samīritaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Arjuna, son of Kuntī, blew the conch named Devadatta, and Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) blew the conch named Pāñcajanya. The resounding blast of Devadatta, sounded by Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), rang out—an emblem of resolve and righteous purpose as the battle’s moral stakes were being declared through ritualized signals.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how righteous intent and disciplined resolve are expressed through sanctioned, communal signals. The conch-blast functions as a dharmic proclamation: action in war is not mere violence but a duty undertaken with clarity, leadership, and alignment with a higher moral order.
Sañjaya reports the battlefield moment when Arjuna blows his conch Devadatta and Kṛṣṇa blows Pāñcajanya. Their blasts announce readiness and rally their side, marking a formal escalation into combat and setting the tone of determination.