THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Anantavijaya
The battlefield account explicitly names Yudhishthira as its bearer and addresses him as king and Kunti’s son. Anantavijaya is therefore not another name for Krishna’s Panchajanya, Arjuna’s Devadatta or the conches of the younger twins.
It is a conch used for sounding a war signal, rather than a bow, missile or weapon shown striking an opponent. Its role is audible and ceremonial, joining the declaration of the Pandava leaders to the answering calls of their allies.
More About Anantavijaya
Yudhishthira sounds Anantavijaya in Bhagavad Gita 1.16.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- Artifact
- Form
- Conch
- Tradition
- Epic / Puranic traditions
THE STORY
Origins & Stories
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
Anantavijaya identifies Yudhishthira within the united Pandava army. The passage calls him a king and Kunti's son, giving both his public position and his family identity. His conch is a signal sounded before combat; the passage does not describe it as a weapon used to strike an opponent.
Object Class
Conch
Origin / Narrative Setting
Owner or Associated Figure
Associated Deity
Properties & Abilities
Yudhishthira sounds Anantavijaya in Bhagavad Gita 1.16.
Symbolic Significance
The sounding of the conches marks the beginning of the battlefield dialogue.
Stories & Events
Tradition Notes
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
Archive Classification Notes
Original archive annotations are retained here. The current playable classification is shown in the side panel.
- Tradition Dependence
- High — compare the identified textual or regional account.
- Previous Owners
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Traditional Location
- No verified present-day custody asserted.
- Editorial Rarity
- Sacred archive — no claim of surviving physical possession.
TRADITION & MEANING
Traditions & Interpretations
The opening of the Bhagavad Gita records the conch's name and bearer but gives no separate account of its manufacture or acquisition.
All five brothers have named conches in this scene. Yudhishthira's Anantavijaya is distinct from Bhima's Paundra, Arjuna's Devadatta, Nakula's Sughosha and Sahadeva's Manipushpaka. Their allies also sound their own instruments, making the Pandava reply a combined announcement by the army's leaders.
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
From the Sacred Texts
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected Cards
4 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Characters & Cosmic Entities1
Yudhishthira sounds Anantavijaya.
The Sacred Library1
Stories & Events1
Earthly Sacred Locations1
The conch sounds on Kurukshetra.