The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair

Bhishma sees Duryodhana's anxiety and acts with compassion—blowing his conch loudly 'to generate cheer' (sañjanayan harṣam). It's thoughtful leadership, noticing someone's struggle and trying to lift them. But here's the subtle teaching: external cheerleading can't fix internal defeatism. Duryodhana has already decided he'll lose (verses 1-10 showed this). Bhishma can roar like a lion, but if Duryodhana doesn't believe in himself, the loudest encouragement won't change his mind. The lesson? You can have the best supporters, the most motivating environment—but if you don't believe, it's just noise.