Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 1, Verse 5
धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान्।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः।।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः।।
dhṛṣṭaketuścekitānaḥ kāśirājaśca vīryavān
purujit kuntibhojaśca śaibyaśca nara-puṅgavaḥ
also searched as "Dhrishtaketuschekitanah Kashirajascha Viryavan"
Translation
Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya, the best among men;
Vāṇi's rendering
Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the brave king of Kashi; Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya, finest of men.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| धृष्टकेतुःdhṛṣṭaketuḥ | Dhrishtaketu (appears as dhṛṣṭaketuś before the next word) |
| चेकितानःcekitānaḥ | Chekitana |
| काशिराजःkāśirājaḥ | the king of Kashi (appears as kāśirājaś before ca) |
| चca | and |
| वीर्यवान्vīryavān | full of valour, mighty |
| पुरुजित्purujit | Purujit |
| कुन्तिभोजःkuntibhojaḥ | Kuntibhoja (appears as kuntibhojaś before ca) |
| चca | and |
| शैब्यःśaibyaḥ | Shaibya (appears as śaibyaś before ca) |
| चca | and |
| नरपुङ्गवःnara-puṅgavaḥ | bull among men — the finest of men |
| युधामन्युःyudhāmanyuḥ | Yudhamanyu (appears as yudhāmanyuś before ca) |
| चca | and |
| विक्रान्तःvikrāntaḥ | the daring one (appears as vikrānta before the vowel that follows) |
| उत्तमौजाःuttamaujāḥ | Uttamauja (appears as uttamaujāś before ca) |
| चca | and |
| वीर्यवान्vīryavān | full of valour, mighty |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 5 mean?
Duryodhana continues his roll-call of the Pāṇḍava champions — Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant king of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Shaibya. He praises them sincerely, and that is the point. A man certain of victory does not catalogue his enemy's virtues. The verse shows dread wearing the costume of a report.
What does the line Dhrishtaketuschekitanah Kashirajascha Viryavan tell us?
It tells us how fear speaks: precisely, respectfully, at length. Each name carries an honorific — mighty, finest of men. Duryodhana is not informing Droṇa, who knows these kings well. He is speaking his own unease aloud and calling it strategy. Listen for that habit in yourself before a hard day.
Why does the Gita spend whole verses just listing warrior names?
Because the names are not decoration. They fix the battle in a real world of loyalties, kinship and history, so that Arjuna's collapse two pages later is a collapse before people, not abstractions. And they show us who is counting, and why. The list is a portrait of the man reciting it.
Who is called nara-pungava, the bull among men?
Shaibya, in this verse. The phrase means the foremost of a herd — strength that others gather behind. Duryodhana grants this title to a man arrayed against him. Honesty about an opponent's worth is rare and admirable; here it arrives too late to become wisdom, because it changes nothing he intends to do.
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Commentary
Duryodhana is naming the men who have come to kill him. He does it carefully — brave king of Kashi, Shaibya finest of men — praising each one. Fear is meticulous like that. It knows the enemy's record by heart, ranks it, polishes it, recites it to a teacher who did not ask. Notice that not one of these names belongs to him. He is reading the other side's roster while his own army waits behind him. When something frightens you, you can list its strengths for an hour. Try listing what stands on your side. You will find that count harder, and shorter, and still enough.