अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ॥
anantavijayaṃ rājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ / nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca sughoṣamaṇipuṣpakau
Yudhishthira, Nakula, Sahadeva — each sounding his own note in the symphony of dharma.
Word by word (4)
- nakukaḥ sahadevḥ ca
- — Nakula and Sahadeva — the twin Pandavas
- sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau
- — blew Sughosha and Manipushpaka — their named conches · Each hero has a named conch — a unique voice. The naming individualizes every warrior and gives the sound of righteousness a personal quality.
- kāśyaś ca parameṣv-āsaḥ
- — and the king of Kashi, the supreme archer
- śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ
- — and Shikhandi, the great chariot-warrior · Shikhandi is specifically mentioned because he is fated to be the instrument of Bhishma's death — a key figure in the coming battle.
Yudhishthira the just king blew his conch Anantavijaya ('endless victory'). Nakula blew his Sughosha ('pleasant sound') and Sahadeva his Manipushpaka ('jewel-blossom').
A modern analogy
The five Pandava brothers are a team with complementary strengths: Yudhishthira the moral leader, Arjuna the elite warrior, Bhima the raw power, and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva the skilled and knowledgeable. Each has a voice. None is interchangeable with the others.
Take with you
- The name 'Anantavijaya' — endless victory — is given to the righteous king, not the greatest warrior. Dharma's victory is ultimately unlimited.
- The five brothers' conches together make a complete sound — different qualities working in concert.
- Nakula and Sahadeva are often overlooked in the Mahabharata but their presence here is deliberate: every member of a righteous team has a voice.
The five Pandava brothers represent five capacities of the human being: Yudhishthira (righteousness/dharma), Bhima (strength/prāṇa), Arjuna (will and skill/mantra), Nakula (beauty and healing/love), Sahadeva (wisdom and foresight/jñāna). When all five are present and acting in concert, the human being is whole. This reading, found in various Puranic traditions, sees the Pandava brothers as aspects of a single soul in right relationship. The name 'Anantavijaya' — 'endless' or 'infinite victory' — for Yudhishthira signals that dharma's victory is not temporary but eternal. The righteous king's sound resonates beyond this battle.
Modern parallels
Positive psychology's research on character strengths (VIA Institute) identifies 24 distinct character strengths. No person has all of them equally, and teams that consciously include different strength profiles outperform those where one type dominates. The five Pandava brothers embody this principle: diverse complementary strengths, unified by a common cause.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. [4]
The King, Yudhishthira, Kunti's son, wound his great shell, Ananta-Vijaya; Nakula blew Sugosha; Sahadeva Manipushpaka. [7]
King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Each warrior has a named conch — a unique voice announcing their presence to the world.
More allied voices join — the sound of dharma's coalition builds.
By bhakti one truly knows what and who I am; then knowing Me truly, one enters into Me immediately.
Where yogeśvara Kṛṣṇa is, where archer Pārtha stands — there abide fortune, victory, flourishing, and steadfast dharma.
Bodies end — the soul does not. Therefore: fight.
If you know the soul is indestructible — who kills whom?