The Yoga of Arjuna’s Despair

ISKCON Title: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

Divine Form: Shri Parthasarathy – Chennai

The divine form connected with each chapter is my personal devotional interpretation for Verse to Vision. It is not an official classification of the Bhagavad-gītā or ISKCON.

Verse 5

Sanskrit
धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् ।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration
dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ
kāśirājaś ca vīryavān
purujit kuntibhojaś ca
śaibyaś ca nara-puṅgavaḥ

English Translation
Duryodhana said:

“There are also great heroic, powerful fighters like Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, Kāśirāja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya.”

—Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, 1.5

Wisdom Within the Verse

Duryodhana continues naming the powerful warriors who support the Pāṇḍavas. In doing so, he recognizes that their strength extends far beyond Bhīma and Arjuna.

Each warrior brings courage, ability and experience to the same cause. As a result, the Pāṇḍava army becomes stronger, more balanced and more difficult to defeat.

More importantly, this verse reminds us that great strength rarely comes from one person alone. Instead, it grows when many capable people unite behind a shared purpose.

In the same way, strong teams are built when individuals contribute different talents while moving toward the same goal. Therefore, leadership is not only about personal ability. It is also about recognizing the value of others and creating space for their strengths to work together.

My Reflection

As an entrepreneur, I cannot build a successful organization alone. Instead, I need people with different skills, ideas and experiences who are willing to work toward the same goal.

Likewise, as a leader, I must recognize each person’s contribution. Some people may be highly visible, while others serve quietly. However, every sincere effort adds strength to the team.

For that reason, I must not feel threatened by capable people. Rather, my responsibility is to bring their talents together, give them direction and allow them to grow.

At the same time, strong leadership requires trust. When I surround myself with talented people, I should not compete with them. Instead, I should help them succeed because their success strengthens the entire mission.

As a philanthropist, I see this lesson clearly. Lasting impact requires unity. One organization cannot solve every problem alone. Therefore, nonprofits, volunteers, donors and community partners become more powerful when they work together.

Ultimately, shared purpose turns individual effort into collective strength. When people contribute their gifts toward something greater than themselves, the mission becomes stronger and the impact grows.

This verse asks me:

• Do I recognize everyone who contributes?
• Do I welcome talented people or feel threatened by them?
• Am I building a team around one personality—or around a shared purpose?

A mission becomes powerful when individual strengths unite in service of a common purpose.