Chapter1- Ślokā 14
tataḥ śvetair-hayair-yukte mahati syandane sthitau |
mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaścaiva divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ || 14 ||
(1.14)
tataḥ- then; mādhavaḥ- Kṛṣṇa, husband of the goddess of fortune Lakṣmi; pāṇḍavaḥ ca eva- and Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu too; sthitau- situated on; mahati syandane- the chariot of great significance; śvetaḥ hayaiḥ yukte- being yoked by white horses; pradadhmatuḥ- blew; divyau śaṅkhau- divine conches.
Purport
Sañjaya continues to give an account of the happenings on the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. This śloka marks Kṛṣṇa's entry in the Bhagavad Gītā.
Sañjaya said, “Upon hearing the terrific sound produced by the Kaurava army, Kṛṣṇa the husband of Lakṣmi and Arjuna the son of Pāṇḍu, stationed on their great chariot yoked by white horses, blew their divine conches.”
tataḥ After hearing the terrific sound of the Kaurava army.
mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaścaiva (Kṛṣṇa who is the husband of Sri and also Pāṇḍu putra Arjuna) Addressing Kṛṣṇa as Mādhava here is a declaration to all that this Kṛṣṇa is none other than the Śarveśwara whom Puruṣa śūkta quotes as 'lakṣmīsca patnyau’. The order of the names mentioned here by Sañjaya tells us that even though Mādhava was Arjuna's charioteer in this war, HE was the first one to blow the conch from the Pāṇḍavas side and the reason for this was the unparalleled importance HE had on account of being Lakṣmi's husband (Mother Lakṣmi being auspiciousness personified). This was conveyed by Sañjaya when he addressed Kṛṣṇa as Mādhava (mā- mother Lakṣmi's, dhava- husband).
śvetaiḥ hayaiḥ yukte mahati syandane sthitau (Stationed on the great chariot drawn by white horses) This very special chariot given to Arjuna by Agni (fire god) was capable of conquering all the directions in which it was drawn. Even an ordinary person mounted on it could conquer all the three worlds. Sañjaya's intention behind mentioning the greatness of the chariot was to say that seated on this very chariot Mādhava (Lakṣmipati) and Arjuna (best archer) would gain victory over the Kauravas.
sthitau The word 'sthitau' used by Sañjaya here conveys that stationed on this chariot, Mādhava and Arjuna
looked so radiant that it gave the feeling that while remaining stationed on this chariot itself they could make
all the three worlds tremble with fear.
divyau śaṇkhau pradadhmatuḥ (Blew their special conches)