Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 5

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit verse

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् ।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुंगवः ॥

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭaketuścekitānaḥ kāśirājaśca vīryavān .
purujitkuntibhojaśca śaibyaśca narapuṃgavaḥ ॥

Meaning

Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana and the valiant king of Kashi; Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Shaibya, the best of men, are also here.

Word meanings

धृष्टकेतुः – Dhrishtaketu (king of Chedi)
चेकितानः – Chekitana (a Yadava warrior)
काशिराजः – the king of Kashi
च – and
वीर्यवान् – valiant, mighty
पुरुजित् – Purujit
कुन्तिभोजः – Kuntibhoja
शैब्यः – Shaibya (king of the Shibis)
नरपुंगवः – foremost among men

Anvaya (word order)

धृष्टकेतुः चेकितानः वीर्यवान् काशिराजः च पुरुजित् कुन्तिभोजः च नरपुंगवः शैब्यः च ।

Explanation

Duryodhana's list continues. Dhrishtaketu was the son of Shishupala, king of Chedi. Krishna had slain Shishupala at Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice, yet his son set aside personal enmity and joined the Pandavas on the side of dharma. It is a fine example of truth outweighing an inherited grudge.

Chekitana was a renowned Yadava hero, counted among the commanders of an akshauhini of the Pandava army. The king of Kashi ruled the ancient city of Varanasi; the epithet viryavan, 'valiant', points to his exceptional strength.

Purujit and Kuntibhoja were brothers connected with the family of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. King Kuntibhoja had adopted and raised her, which is why Pritha came to be called Kunti. Being like grandparents to the Pandavas, they naturally stood with them.

Shaibya was king of the Shibis, whose daughter Devika was a wife of Yudhishthira. He is called narapungava, literally 'a bull among men', meaning one who is foremost and powerful. Through these names Duryodhana shows that the Pandava side is not merely a band of heroes but an alliance of respected kings from many realms, bound to them by both kinship and dharma.

Context

This verse is the second part of Duryodhana's list of the Pandava great warriors, which begins in verse 4 and ends in verse 6.

Life lesson

Dhrishtaketu's example shows that one can leave behind an old personal grudge to stand for what is right. The choice of the right side in life should be made by discernment, not by resentment.

Key terms

Dhrishtaketu: son of Shishupala and king of Chedi
Kuntibhoja: the king who adopted Kunti; a kinsman of the Pandavas
Shaibya: king of the Shibis, father-in-law of Yudhishthira
Narapungava: foremost among men; a mighty hero