Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 5: Meaning and Special Explanation

Sloka (Verse):

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् ।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः ॥५॥

Dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ kāśirājaś ca vīryavān ।
Purujit kuntibhojaś ca śaibyaś ca nara-puṅgavaḥ ॥5॥

Word-by-Word Meaning:

dhṛṣṭaketuḥ — Dhrishtaketu
cekitānaḥ — Chekitana
kāśirājaḥ — the King of Kashi
ca — and
vīryavān — very powerful, mighty
purujit — Purujit
kuntibhojaḥ — Kuntibhoja
ca — and
śaibyaḥ — Shaibya
ca — and
nara-puṅgavaḥ — hero among men, best of men

Translation:

Here are Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the very powerful King of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya, the hero among men.

Purport

In this fifth verse, Duryodhana continues to mention the names of more great warriors on the Pandava side to his teacher Dronacharya. In the previous verse, he had spoken about Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada. Now he is mentioning six more principal warriors, each of whom possessed extraordinary skill and courage.

Duryodhana's continuous enumeration of names is not merely providing information, but hidden within it is his deep psychological state. On one hand, he wants to alert Dronacharya about the enemy's strength, while on the other hand, this detailed description also reveals his own internal fear and anxiety.

Each of the six warriors mentioned in this verse was particularly important, and each had his own history and heroism.

Dhrishtaketu was the king of the Chedi kingdom. He was the son of the notorious Shishupala, whom Lord Sri Krishna had killed during the Rajasuya sacrifice. Although his father was Krishna's enemy, Dhrishtaketu himself was righteous and just. He had joined the Pandavas' side because he understood that truth and dharma were with them. He was a great chariot warrior and his army was powerful.

Chekitana was a heroic warrior of the Yadu dynasty and a relative of Lord Sri Krishna. He was extremely skilled and brave. Like Yuyudhana (Satyaki), Chekitana was also a devotee of Krishna and devoted to the Pandavas. His presence was another proof of Krishna's influence on the Pandava side.

The King of Kashi was the ruler of the Kashi kingdom, who was famous for his extraordinary strength and valor. In the verse, he is specifically mentioned as "viryavan" (very powerful), which proves he was no ordinary warrior. Kashi was an ancient and prosperous kingdom, and its king was naturally a powerful and influential person. He had joined the Pandavas' side and his army played an important role in the war.

Purujit was Kunti's brother and thus the maternal uncle of the Pandavas. Besides family relations, he was a skilled warrior and a righteous person. His joining the Pandavas' side was natural, as the Pandavas were his nephews and injustice had been done to them. Both family ties and dharma - for both reasons he stood by them.

Kuntibhoja was a great king who was the foster father of Kuntidevi, the mother of the Pandavas. Although Kunti was by birth the daughter of Shurasena, Kuntibhoja had adopted her and raised her like his own daughter. Therefore, his affection and sense of responsibility toward the Pandavas was deep. He was a veteran and experienced warrior, and his presence added strength to the Pandava side both morally and militarily.

Shaibya was the king of the Shibi kingdom, who was famous for his courage and valor. The Shibi royal dynasty was ancient and respected, and the kings of this dynasty were known for their religious devotion and righteousness. Shaibya is referred to as "nara-pungava" (hero among men, best of men), which is proof of his extraordinary qualities. This epithet indicates not only his physical strength but also his character, leadership and moral stature.

Duryodhana's detailed list reveals several important things. First, the Pandava side not only had powerful warriors but also had strong allies from various kingdoms. This proves that the Pandavas were in a strong position politically and socially as well. Many kings and warriors had willingly joined their side because they believed that injustice had been done to the Pandavas.

Second, many of these warriors were relatives of the Pandavas or devotees of Krishna. This shows that family bonds and spiritual connections were more important to them than political considerations. They stood for dharma, not merely for power or wealth.

Third, Duryodhana's continuous enumeration of warriors reveals his internal fear. If he were truly confident, he would not need to count each warrior on the enemy side in this way. This is the behavior of a frightened person trying to assure himself that he knows his enemies and is prepared to face them.

Through this verse, we see once again that the Pandava side had not just numbers or weapons, but moral strength and the support of dharma. Every warrior knew why they were fighting - to establish justice and righteousness. This moral force multiplied their physical strength many times over.

In contrast, although the Kaurava side had greater numbers and many powerful warriors, their cause was unrighteousness and injustice. This fundamental weakness made all their external strength meaningless.

This verse teaches us an important life lesson. When we walk the right path in life, when we stand for dharma and truth, many people naturally come and stand beside us. We may feel we are alone, but in reality, invisible forces always work in favor of truth and dharma that help us.

When it seemed the Pandavas had lost everything, when they were in forest exile and hiding in anonymity, they might have thought they were alone and helpless. But when the time came for the righteous war, it was seen that many great kings and warriors came and stood beside them. Because truth and dharma always receive support, even if it sometimes comes late.

Another important point is that all these warriors came to the Pandavas' side not for personal gain. They knew this war would be difficult and many might lose their lives. But still they came because they believed in doing the right thing. This is the sign of true heroism and character.

From Duryodhana's perspective, all these warriors were causes for fear. But from a larger perspective, they were protectors of dharma and servants of truth. History remembers them that way - not for their physical strength but for their moral courage and commitment to righteousness.

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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare।
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare॥