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The Names of the Conches of the Pandavas – Stories from Bhishma Parva

Back on the Kurukshetra battlefield, both sides, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, were ready and facing each other. The warriors were dressed up in armours and stood on their chariots filled with weapons. Arjuna had Krishna as his charioteer. 

conches

To signal their intention, Krishna and the Pandavas blew their conches loudly. The sounds reverberated throughout the battlefield. An interesting aspect is that every conch had a name. The warriors named their conches and personalized them. Conches were a valuable asset for the Kshatriyas. They carried them whenever traveling, dueling, etc. The sound from the conch could be heard for many meters. It also indicated the lung capacity and stamina of the warrior. The Brahmins used conches during prayers and yagnas. 

In Bhishma Parva, Sanjaya began his descriptions of the battle to Dhritarashtra. He said that the Pandavas and Krishna blew their conches after they stood poised and ready in the day’s army formation. 

So what were the conches called? Check out below!

  • Krishna’s conch – Panchajanya (it belonged to a danava named Panchajana, who Krishna killed; similarly, Krishna took the chariot from Jarasandha after Bhima killed the king of Maghada)
  • Arjuna’s conch – Devadatta (since it was a gift from Indra, his father)
  • Bhima’s conch – Paundra 
  • Yudhistira’s conch – Anantavijaya (meaning victory forever or never-ending victory)
  • Nakula’s conch – Sughosa (meaning something that makes a pleasant sound)
  • Sahadeva’s conch – Manipushpaka (meaning jeweled bracelet) 

The warriors artfully decorated the conches based on their tastes and matched their personalities. 

Most warriors had their own conches. Throughout the war parvas, some of these were mentioned by Sanjaya. However, not all names were provided. 

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Omens that Indicate Victory in War – Stories from Bhishma Parva

After listening to the details of ill omens regarding the impending war, Dhritarashtra asked Vyasa to tell him about good omens that predicted victory in the war. Though he repeated that he accepted the fate of his sons and their destruction, he was still hopeful the results would favor Duryodhana somehow. 

omens-of-victory

Vyasa mentioned a few omens that appeared when victory chose a person/ side. 

  • The sacrificial fire had a cheerful radiance, and its flames were straight and tall (instead of bending and fluttering to the sides).
  • The oblations offered to the fire had a sweet and sacred fragrance. 
  • The sounds emitted from the drums and conch shells were deep and steady. 
  • The sun and moon rays were pure. 
  • The crows made beneficial cries when sitting or flying (crows have varied roles; on one side, they represent death, but on the other side, they indicate the arrival of a guest or something good).
  • The vultures, swans, cranes, parrots, and woodpeckers circled to the right side and made beneficial cries (this would be understood if one knew how to decode bird cries).
  • The ornaments, armour, and flags of the victorious men would be in gold, shining so brightly that it would be hard to look at them. The garlands around the necks don’t fade. 
  • Warriors who speak kind words before entering the battlefield and don’t attack the opponent without a warning would be victorious. 
  • Winds, clouds, rain, crows, etc., become favorable, and there would be showers from the clouds with rainbows (Arjuna was showered with flowers, and a wonderful scent reached him when on the days he killed Jayadratha and Karna).
  • Irrespective of the army size, a group of warriors with cheerful and happy smiles would be victorious.

Vyasa continued that even a large army could be defeated easily if the leader was not capable or if some sections of the troops were terrorized. He advised that success obtained through negotiations was the best, and the one achieved through war was the worst. He warned Dhritarashtra that having a bigger army didn’t indicate victory. A single Garuda killed thousands of nagas. Vyasa knew Dhritarashtra was nursing hope that his sons would win, as they had a larger army and many powerful warriors. 

Of course, the war happened, and the Pandavas won. 

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Omens and Astrological Indications About the War – Stories from Bhishma Parva

Even a few hours before the war, Vyasa tried to convince Dhritarashtra to do the right thing (return Indraprastha to the Pandavas as per the terms of the agreement) and prevent the war from destroying many lives. However, Dhritarashtra said he couldn’t do it. Vyasa then offered to give him a temporary sight to witness the war. Dhritarashtra declined but wanted to hear everything about it. So, Vyasa gave special sight to Sanjaya, who narrated the events to the blind king. He also gave Sanjaya a boon that no weapon would harm or kill him during the war. After that, Vyasa didn’t give up. He mentioned the various omens he had been noticing and warned the old king that there would be massive destruction (as well as the end of the Kauravas). 

omens-of-war

The omens listed by Vyasa were as follows: 

  • Crows, hawks, herons, and vultures gathered in large numbers at the edges of the forest and sounded agitated. These are carnivorous (and omnivorous) birds that feed on animal and human flesh when available. 
  • There had been sounds of crashes (like meteors hitting the earth), indicating a calamity. The cranes and herons had been flying southward (south is the direction of death, ruled by Yama).
  • The rising sun had been covered by a headless torso (could be a cloud in that shape or Rahu). These clouds were white with red on the edges, black on the neck, and lined with lightning. 
  • Irrespective of the time, the sun, moon, and stars were blazing bright (implying the natural cycle had been disrupted), indicating destruction. 
  • Even on the full moon night of Kritika, the moon was devoid of its usual radiance. Instead, it glowed like Agni. The sky also had the same color (reddish orange). Brave heroes with arms like clubs would be killed, and their bodies would litter the earth. 
  • At night, strange sounds echoed from the sky like a boar and a cat fighting. 
  • The murtis (of gods) trembled and laughed. Sweat beaded their bodies. Some murtis vomited blood, and some fell to the ground. 
  • Kettledrums sounded without anyone beating them. 
  • The chariots moved of their own accord without being yoked to horses or driven by charioteers.
  • Birds like peacocks, bluejays, cuckoos, parrots, etc., cried in strange and terrifying voices. 
  • Hundreds of locusts swarmed the sun as it rose in the sky every morning.
  • The directions looked as if they were set on fire at dawn and dusk (could be the sun turning the land red, or could be wildfires).
  • The showers were of blood and bones instead of rainwater.
  • Arundhati star moved Vashishta to the back (two stars in the Ursa Major were named after the rishi couple; while Arundhati was a fainter star, Vashishta was the brighter one; here their roles seemed to have reversed).
  • Saturn (Shani) was based in Rohini (a star) and was oppressing it. 
  • The marks on the moon have disappeared (possibly the moon shone too bright and was without its usual blemishes).
  • The mountains wept and shed drops of tears (possibly glaciers breaking apart).
  • Continuous and terrible sounds reverberated from the sky even when it was clear and free of clouds. 
  • Cows gave birth to donkeys.
  • Sons were sleeping with their mothers.
  • Trees produced flowers and fruit in the wrong season.
  • Princes were pregnant and giving birth to monsters (this happened before the destruction of Dwarka when Sambha gave birth to a club after being cursed by Narada and Rishi Kanva).
  • Predatory birds and jackals were feeding on other animals. 
  • Deformed animals were born with crooked teeth, extra horns, three eyes, three feet, two heads, two tails, etc., and made inauspicious (terrifying) sounds.
  • Horses had three feet and four eyes with horns over the head. 
  • The wives of learned Brahmins gave birth to peacocks and birds.
  • Mares gave birth to calves and dogs to jackals. 
  • Women gave birth to four or five daughters at once, and these children were immediately standing up, dancing, and laughing. 
  • All types of lotus flowers were growing on trees (these are water blooms).
  • Strong winds blew persistently as dust filled the air. There was no respite. 
  • The sun looked like it was swallowed by Rahu (solar eclipse).
  • The white planet (Shukra/ Ketu) passed Chitra (a star). 
  • A terrible comet was present in Pushya (a star) and was oppressing it.
  • Angaraka (Mars) was in retrograde in Magha (star), and Brihaspati (Jupiter) was in Sharavana (star) (Mars Retrograde affects action, planning, and emotion, which wouldn’t bode well for armies intending to go to war).
  • The son of the sun (Shani/ Saturn) was in Bhaga (Pubba, a star) and oppressing it.
  • Shukra (Venus) was rising toward Purva Bhadra (a star) and was looking at Uttara (a star) after crossing Purva Bhadra. 
  • The dark planet (Saturn) was based in Indra’s star, Jyestha, and attacking it (since planets have multiple visions, Saturn was likely influencing other stars).
  • Dhruva (the pole star) was flaming with energy and veering left.
  • The harsh planet was stationed between Chitra and Swathi (Bibek Debory felt this could be Rahu).
  • The one with the radiance of fire was in retrograde and completed its regular course (possibly Jupiter, according to Bibek Debroy). It was blazing red and full of energy and located in Shravana (a star).
  • The stalks of barley had five ears, and the stalks of paddy had a hundred ears (barley has three ears and paddy has around twelve, says Google).
  • The cattle were giving blood instead of milk when milked after they had fed their calves.
  • A bird with one wing, one eye, and one leg was seen flying at night, screaming and vomiting blood. 
  • The saptarishis (the Great Bear, Ursa Major) constellation with seven stars had dimmed. 
  • Brihaspati (Jupiter) and Shani (Saturn) have been stationed for a year near Vishaka. 
  • The terrible planet had robbed Krithika (a star) of its brilliance (possibly Ketu).
  • The stars were earlier classified into three groups (this could be based on different parameters), and Budha (Mercury) was looking down on them, signifying danger.
  • The moon cycle had changed. The new moon night occurred on the thirteenth day itself, with the sun and the moon having eclipses in the same month (a very rare occurrence).
  • There were showers of blood at night and a rain of flesh on the fourteenth night of the lunar cycle. 
  • The rivers flowed in opposite directions, and the water in them turned to blood.
  • The rakshasas howled in the middle of the night, unsatisfied with the food they got.
  • Thunders crashed without rain. 
  • The wells foamed with unknown substances.
  • Meteor showers had taken over the sky and were blocking the sun. The maharishis said the earth would drink the blood of many kings when this happened.
  • The summits everywhere (mountain ranges from the Himalaya, Mandara, Kailasa, etc.) were making sounds of rocks falling and crashing (as it happens during an earthquake or landslide). 
  • The trees were falling down at random in villages, towns, and cities. 
  • The fire turned yellow, red, or blue when the Brahmins poured oblations into it. The flames emitted a foul smell and turned left. There was more smoke, as the fires made hissing sounds. 
  • The touch, smell, and taste became contrary (implying that what smelled and tasted good turned foul and vice versa).
  • War drums and kettledrums released showers of coal dust.
  • Vultures ventured into the cities and circled over the palaces or perched on the gates. 
  • The horses and elephants were running here and there, releasing urine and poop anywhere and everywhere (these animals were trained for war and were usually composed).

Even after listening to these terrible omens, Dhritarashtra didn’t try to stop the war. He said that the destruction had been decided by destiny and would hence come true. He added that the heroes who were killed in the war would attain heaven for following their Kshatriya dharma.

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The List of Rules to Follow During the War – Stories from Bhishma Parva

Before the war began, the Kauravas and Pandavas agreed upon a set of rules to follow on the battlefield. These were established according to the laws of dharma. 

rules-of-war
  1. When the battle ends (for the day), the warriors will not carry the hostility off the battlefield and continue to maintain their previous friendly relations (of course, Duryodhana has always considered the Pandavas his enemies, so his behavior on and off the battlefield doesn’t change).
  2. They would not resort to deceit again (implying that they wouldn’t repeat the trickery of the dice game).
  3. Those who fight with words should be countered with words (and not weapons).
  4. Those who withdraw from the battle should not be attacked until they are ready to fight again (this is to prevent injured warriors from being killed when they cannot defend themselves. Not surprisingly, Duryodhana and Karna go off the field many times using the same clause).
  5. A ratha (chariot warrior) should fight a ratha, the one on an elephant should fight an opponent on an elephant, a horseback warrior should face his equal on a horseback, and a foot soldier should fight a foot soldier (this is for face-off and duels).
  6. The strike should be by valour, age, energy, and appropriateness of the opponent after a challenge has been issued. It should not be against someone distressed (possibly because of an injury), unsuspecting (not aware that a challenge has been issued), fighting someone else (already engaged in a duel), distracted (not alert), or retreating (leaving the battlefield temporarily or turning his back on one warrior to fight another).
  7. A warrior without armour or weapon should not be killed (both sides broke this rule; first the Kauravas by killing a weapon-less Abhimanyu, and then Satyaki by killing Bhurisravas, who sat meditating and gave up the fight).
  8. One should never strike charioteers, those carrying burdens (men and animals), and those not directly involved in the fight (drum beaters, trumpeter blowers, purohits, Brahmins, vaidyas, etc.) 

However, charioteers were often victims when the warriors were engaged in a duel. They were safe when there was no warrior in the chariot or when the warrior was injured and incapable of defending the charioteer. 

The rules of war were more or less followed for the first ten days when Bhishma was the chief commander of the Kaurava army. After his demise, the warriors straddled the lines at times. Abhimanyu’s death was one such example where six experienced warriors attacked a single opponent and continued to fight him even when he was without his chariot. Similarly, the war proceeded into the night on day fourteen after Jayadratha’s death. 

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