Bhagavad Gita 1.5 · Sanjaya
The list keeps growing
धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान्।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुंगवः॥
dhṛṣṭaketuścekitānaḥ kāśirājaśca vīryavānpurujitkuntibhojaśca śaibyaśca narapuṃgavaḥ
Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant king of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya, the finest of men.
What it means
The roll call goes on. Duryodhana praises each name. Valiant. The finest of men. The Gita keeps these lists for a reason. They let us feel the scale of the moment. Kings from across the land have come. And with every name, the prince's confidence wears a little thinner.
The story
Kuntibhoja once took in a baby girl and raised her as his own daughter. She grew up to be Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. Now, in his old age, Kuntibhoja stands with her sons. The other side is held together by love.
In your life
Picture a hospital waiting room. You read every poster and leaflet, one risk after another, and the list grows heavier. Put the leaflet down. Breathe. Then ask the nurse the one question that matters right now.
A longer list is not a truer one.