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Bhagavad-gītā 1.19

स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् । नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलोऽभ्यनुनादयन् ॥ १९ ॥
sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ
[sa ghosho dhaartaraashtraanaam]
hṛdayāni vyadārayat
[hridayaani vyadaarayat]
nabhaś ca pṛthivīṁ caiva
[nabhash cha prithiveem chaiva]
tumulo ’bhyanunādayan
[tumulo ’bhyanunaadayan]
Word-for-word
saḥ — that ghoṣaḥ — vibration dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām — of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra hṛdayāni — hearts vyadārayat — shattered nabhaḥ — the sky ca — also pṛthivīm — the surface of the earth ca — also eva — certainly tumulaḥ — uproarious abhyanunādayan — resounding .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ
saḥ
that
ghoṣaḥ
vibration
dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām
of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
hṛdayāni vyadārayat
hṛdayāni
hearts
vyadārayat
shattered
nabhaś ca pṛthivīṁ caiva
nabhaḥ
the sky
ca
also
pṛthivīm
the surface of the earth
ca
also
eva
certainly
tumulo ’bhyanunādayan
tumulaḥ
uproarious
abhyanunādayan
resounding .
Important Words
  • ghoṣaḥ — vibration
    *Ghoṣa* — sound, but specifically the *vibratory continuation* of a sound, the hum that lingers. Same root as in *Su-ghoṣa* (Nakula's conch in v.16). The verse moves from named conches to a single resonant *ghoṣa* — many sources, one effect.
  • hṛdayāni — hearts
    *Hṛdaya* — the seat of feeling and of the *ātman* in the Upaniṣads. The plural is significant: not one heart but *all* the hearts of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons are simultaneously cracked. Sound that goes for the heart is the Vedic measure of true mantra.
  • vyadārayat — shattered
    Causative imperfect of *dṝ* (to tear, to split). Same root as *dāraṇa*. The verb is violent: the conch-sound *tore* the Kaurava hearts. Sound, in the Vedic worldview, is not metaphor — it is physical work done on the inner organ.
  • tumulaḥ — uproarious
    Same word that described the Kaurava drumming in v.13. Vyāsa repeats it precisely. The two sides produce *tumult*; only one side's tumult *shatters hearts*. Mere noise does not equal sacred vibration. The same volume can be empty or transformative depending on its source.
  • abhyanunādayan — resounding
    *Abhi-anu-nad* — to resound, to echo through. The Vedic image of a mantra that *fills the field*. Kurukṣetra is being saturated with the sound of dharma before the first arrow flies. The war has been won, sonically, before it begins.
The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The Pāṇḍava sound is not just loud — it pierces. Sañjaya, drawing Dhṛtarāṣṭra into the scene, names exactly whose hearts were torn: 'dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām' — your sons'. The verse signals that the war's psychological outcome is already foreshadowed.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The causative vyadārayat (from √dṝ 'to tear') is striking — sound is depicted as physical violence on the heart. Abhyanunādayan piles three prefixes (abhi-anu-) on the causative of √nad, evoking sound reverberating outward and back. Sañjaya's choice of 'dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām' rather than 'kauravāṇām' is pointed: he is reminding Dhṛtarāṣṭra that it is *his* sons whose courage failed first.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
नभः च पृथिवीं च एव अभ्यनुनादयन् तुमुलः सः घोषः धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् ।
nabhaḥ ca pṛthivīṃ ca eva abhyanunādayan tumulaḥ saḥ ghoṣaḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ hṛdayāni vyadārayat |
That tumultuous sound, making both sky and earth resound, tore apart the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
सः घोषः धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् । नभः च पृथिवीं च एव तुमुलः अभ्यनुनादयन् ॥
saḥ ghoṣaḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ hṛdayāni vyadārayat | nabhaḥ ca pṛthivīṃ ca eva tumulaḥ abhyanunādayan ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
सः saḥ तद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. that
घोषः ghoṣaḥ घोष (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) sound, uproar
धार्तराष्ट्राणाम् dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām धार्तराष्ट्र (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
हृदयानि hṛdayāni हृदय (n.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) hearts
व्यदारयत् vyadārayat वि+√दृ caus. (causative) impf. (imperfect) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) tore apart, rent
नभः nabhaḥ नभस् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) sky
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
पृथिवीम् pṛthivīm पृथिवी (f.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) earth
एव eva ind. (indeclinable), emphatic
तुमुलः tumulaḥ तुमुल adj. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. tumultuous
अभ्यनुनादयन् abhyanunādayan अभि+अनु+√नद् caus. (causative) pres. (present) part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. causing to resound on all sides
Purport

When Bhīṣma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pāṇḍavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pāṇḍavas’ party. This is due to the Pāṇḍavas and their confidence in Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
19. That tumultuous sound, filling the sky and earth, split the hearts of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
19. That tumultuous sound, filling the sky and earth, split the hearts of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons.
Commentary

The sound of the Pāṇḍavas’ conches split the hearts of all of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s followers including Bhīṣma. That means it produced pain equal to piercing the heart. The intense sound filled the sky and earth with its echoes. The sound of the conches of the followers of Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not cause any agitation in the hearts of the Pāṇdāvas, because nothing was mentioned of this.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra. (cn/DS) The Pandavas had confidence on the presence of Lord Krsna and that cause fear to the heart of Dhrtarastra's sons. This is just setting the scene for the philosophy to be spoken. A very important philosophical point comes out:‑ the devotee due to his confidence in Lord Krsna is never fearful.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Shattering of the hearts – Conchshells of Pandavas shattered the heart of the sons of Dhrtarashtara

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
1.19 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
1.1 - 1.19 Dhrtarastra said - Sanjaya said Duryodhana, after viewing the forces of Pandavas protected by Bhima, and his own forces protected by Bhisma conveyed his views thus to Drona, his teacher, about the adeacy of Bhima's forces for conering the Kaurava forces and the inadeacy of his own forces for victory against the Pandava forces. He was grief-stricken within. Observing his (Duryodhana's) despondecny, Bhisma, in order to cheer him, roared like a lion, and then blowing his conch, made his side sound their conchs and kettle-drums, which made an uproar as a sign of victory. Then, having heard that great tumult, Arjuna and Sri Krsna the Lord of all lords, who was acting as the charioteer of Arjuna, sitting in their great chariot which was powerful enough to coner the three worlds; blew their divine conchs Srimad Pancajanya and Devadatta. Then, both Yudhisthira and Bhima blew their respective conchs separately. That tumult rent asunder the hearts of your sons, led by Duryodhana. The sons of Dhrtarastra then thought, 'Our cause is almost lost now itself.' So said Sanjaya to Dhrtarastra who was longing for their victory. Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra: Then, seeing the Kauravas, who were ready for battle, Arjuna, who had Hanuman, noted for his exploit of burning Lanka, as the emblem on his flag on his chariot, directed his charioteer Sri Krsna, the Supreme Lord-who is overcome by parental love for those who take shelter in Him who is the treasure-house of knowledge, power, lordship, energy, potency and splendour, whose sportive delight brings about the origin, sustentation and dissolution of the entire cosmos at His will, who is the Lord of the senses, who controls in all ways the senses inner and outer of all, superior and inferior - by saying, 'Station my chariot in an appropriate place in order that I may see exactly my enemies who are eager for battle.'
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
1.12 1.29 Sri Abhinavgupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
1.19. That tumultuous sound rent the hearts of (the members of) Dhritarashtra's party, making both the heaven and the earth resound.
Commentary

1.19 सः that? घोषः uproar? धार्तराष्ट्राणाम् of Dhritarashtras party? हृदयानि hearts? व्यदारयत् rent? नभः sky? च and? पृथिवीम् earth? च and? एव also? तुमुलः tumultuous? व्यनुनादयन् resounding.No Commentary.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
1.19 That tremendous sound pierced the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra as it reverberated through the sky and the earth.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
1.19 The tumult rent the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, and violently shook heaven and earth with its echo.
Related values & verses
Related values
Daya (Compassion / Mercy)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Discriminative WisdomVairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Raksha (Protective Responsibility)
Related verses
BG 1.13 BG 11.23 BG 16.19 SB 10.3.1 SB 7.8.7 SB 10.66.22 CC Ādi 7.83 CC Madhya 17.217 CC Antya 3.50 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.5Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When dharma sounds with unified voice, even hardened opposition feels its tremor — sincere devotion carries authority by itself.
Practical Applications
  • Trust that sincere chanting and service makes its impact felt without your needing to argue.
  • Stop trying to convince adversaries through debate; let your steady devotional life speak.
  • Notice the moments when even a closed heart momentarily softens at the sound of Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I exhausting myself in argument when sincere practice would be the louder testimony?
  • Whose hardened heart might be more affected by my steadiness than by my words?
Analogy

When the sound of dharma resounds, it does not break stone walls — it shatters hearts. The Pāṇḍava conches reach the Kauravas not through the ear but through the chest. A heart full of unrighteous purpose cannot bear the vibration of a righteous note.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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