Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 14

Chapter 1/Verse 14

ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ ।

माधवः पाण्डवश्चैव दिव्यौ शङ्खौ प्रदध्मतुः ॥१-१४॥

tataḥ śvetairhayairyukte mahati syandane sthitau ।

mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaścaiva divyau śaṅkhau

pradadhmatuḥ ॥1-14॥

Then, in a great war-chariot yoked with white steeds Mādhava and Pāṇḍava stood blowing divine conch shells.

tatas (adverb)  (indeclinable) = then

śvetais (stem form: śveta) (masculine, instrumental, plural) = with white

hayais (stem form: haya)  (masculine, instrumental, plural) = with steeds

yukte (verb root: yuj) (past passive participle, masculine, locative, singular) = yoked

mahati (stem form: mahat) (masculine, locative, singular) = great

syandane (stem form: syandana) (masculine, locative, singular) = war-chariot

sthitau (stem form: sthita) (past passive participle, masculine, nominative, dual) = two stood

mādhavas (stem form: mādhava) (masculine, nominative, singular) = Mādhava (epithet for Krishna)

pāṇḍavas (stem form: pāṇḍava) (masculine, nominative, singular) = Pāṇḍava (epithet for Arjuna)

ca (indeclinable) = and

eva (indeclinable) = (emphatic particle, emphasizes preceding word)

divyau (stem form: divya) (masculine, accusative, dual) = two divine

śaṅkhau (stem form: śaṅkha) (masculine, nominative, accusative, dual) = two conch shells

pradadhmatus (verb root: dhmā) (pra + dadhmatus) (perfect, 3rd person, dual) = the two blow

In this verse the two central characters of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna and Arjuna, are brought into the epic via their epithets.

Mādhava (epithet for Krishna) means "a descendant of Madhu", which Krishna is and Pāṇḍava (epithet for Arjuna) means son-of-Pandu", which Arjuna is.