Bhagavad Gita 1.12

Sanskrit

तस्य सञ्जनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः । सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान् ॥1.12॥

Transliteration

tasya sañjanayanharṣaṃ kuruvṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ | siṃhanādaṃ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṅkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpavān ‖1.12‖

Meaning

“Then the aged Kuru grandsire, Bhishma, the glorious one, roaring like a lion, blew his conch loudly to cheer Duryodhana.”

Key learning

Sensing his grandson's nerves, the elder Bhishma answers not with words but with a lion's roar and a blast of his conch, pure courage. Sometimes those who lead us can't fix the situation, but they can lend us their steadiness when ours slips.

How to apply this today

Be the steady sound for someone who's wavering, and accept it when you're the one shaking. A parent's calm "you've got this" before an exam gives courage no advice could. When you're rattled, deliberately go stand near the calmest person you know, not the most panicked.

Theme: The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishada Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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