Ravi sat at his desk, the glow of his laptop screen illuminating his tired face. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but his mind was elsewhere. The excitement he had felt the night before—when he had resolved to take action—had faded into uncertainty again.
He had started outlining his startup idea, making a list of potential customers, and even drafting an email to a few contacts. But doubt had crept back in.
“What if someone else is already doing this?”
“What if I launch and no one cares?”
“What if it’s all a waste of time?”
The weight of the unknown pressed down on him. He wanted control—over the outcome, over the timing, over every possible risk. His phone buzzed. Another notification from the Bhagavad Gita app. He almost ignored it, but something made him tap on it.
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता 1.3
पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता।।
Transliteration:
Paśhyaitāṁ Pāṇḍu-putrāṇām āchārya mahatīṁ chamūm
Vyūḍhāṁ Drupada-putreṇa tava śhiṣhyeṇa dhīmatā
Translation
“Behold, O master, this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by the son of Drupada, your wise disciple.”
Duryodhana’s Fear: The Seeds of Doubt
The battlefield of Kurukshetra stretched endlessly before Duryodhana, a chaotic yet structured war zone where warriors stood ready for battle. But even before the first arrow was shot, Duryodhana felt uneasy.
His anxiety wasn’t because his army was weak—he had the most powerful warriors by his side, including Bhishma, Karna, and Ashwatthama. Yet, his eyes were fixated on the enemy’s formation.
He turned to his teacher, Dronacharya, the man who had trained both him and his enemies. His words carried an edge of nervousness masked as observation:
“Look, Acharya. See how well the Pandavas have arranged their army. Look at their leader—Dhrishtadyumna, the very man YOU trained.”
The statement held an undertone of blame. Why did his own teacher prepare the enemy?
But more than that, it revealed Duryodhana’s biggest weakness—his obsession with control.
He wanted every variable in the war to be in his favor. And when he saw something beyond his control, it rattled him.
Ravi’s Struggle: A Mirror of Duryodhana
Ravi leaned back in his chair, staring at the verse.
Duryodhana wasn’t afraid of the battle itself. He was afraid of the uncertainty.
And wasn’t that exactly how Ravi felt? He wasn’t afraid of hard work. If someone told him exactly what steps to take to make his startup successful, he would follow them without hesitation.
But that wasn’t how life worked!
There were too many unknowns—market trends, competition, investor reactions, customer needs.
And just like Duryodhana, Ravi found himself caught in the illusion of control. He wanted to predict every challenge before it even happened. He wanted guarantees. And because he couldn’t have them, he was paralyzed.
The Curse of Comparison
Duryodhana wasn’t just afraid of the Pandavas—he was obsessed with them. He saw only their strengths and only his own weaknesses. That was the irony—Duryodhana had the bigger army, more experienced warriors, and resources beyond measure. Yet, his focus wasn’t on his own advantages but on what the Pandavas had.
This was exactly what Ravi did when he looked at other entrepreneurs. When he scrolled through LinkedIn and saw posts from startup founders announcing funding rounds, he felt inferior. When he watched interviews of successful CEOs, he felt behind.
“They’re already ahead. What’s the point of even trying?”
Duryodhana’s problem wasn’t that his army was weaker. His problem was his perception.
And Ravi was making the same mistake.
The Problem with Waiting for the Perfect Moment
Duryodhana wanted certainty before action. He wanted to know how the war would unfold before it even started. But the truth was, wars are never predictable. No matter how much you prepare, unexpected challenges arise. New opportunities appear. Luck plays a role.
The same was true for startups.
Ravi kept waiting—waiting for the perfect product idea, the perfect timing, the perfect funding opportunity. But success didn’t come from waiting for the right conditions. It came from taking action despite the uncertainty.
He had spent months researching, reading books on entrepreneurship, analyzing competitors—but what had he actually done?
Nothing!
Because deep down, he wanted someone to say:
“Yes, your idea will definitely work. There is zero risk. Go ahead.”
But no one could give him that guarantee. And if he waited for it, he would never start.
Dronacharya’s Silence: A Lesson in Letting Go
As Duryodhana spoke, Dronacharya listened. But he didn’t respond. Because he understood something Duryodhana didn’t—you can’t control everything. Yes, he had trained Dhrishtadyumna. But now, the disciple was leading an army against him.
Was it unfair? Maybe. Was it frustrating? Possibly. But that was the nature of battle.
And that was the nature of life.
Dronacharya’s silence wasn’t ignorance—it was wisdom.
He knew that dwelling on what was beyond his control was pointless. He had trained warriors. Now, it was time for battle.
The past couldn’t be changed. The only thing that mattered was what he did next.
The Turning Point: Acceptance Over Control
Ravi took a deep breath. He realized that his startup idea wouldn’t succeed because he eliminated all risks. It would succeed because he moved forward despite them.
He didn’t need to see the entire battlefield—he just needed to take the first step.
Duryodhana saw Dhrishtadyumna leading the Pandava army and panicked. But a true warrior wouldn’t have fixated on that.
A true warrior would have said:
“Okay. This is the battlefield. These are the circumstances. What’s my next move?”
Ravi picked up his notebook and wrote:
1. Reach out to five potential customers.
2. Build a simple prototype—no perfection, just function.
3. Launch a basic landing page and see if anyone is interested.
He wasn’t in control of everything. But he was in control of his own actions. And that was enough.
Final Reflection: The Illusion of Control
Duryodhana’s mistake was that he thought he needed to control everything. But the greatest warriors, the greatest leaders, the greatest entrepreneurs—they don’t eliminate uncertainty. They embrace it.
The only question is:
Will you keep waiting for the perfect moment? Or will you step into the battlefield and fight?
If you want to read more verses of Bhagavad Gita, you can also find other posts. The Full series is available here
Once you find yourself craving for more information, order a free book here. This is where I got the inspiration to write this blog.
Disclaimer
The explanation provided here is based on the author’s interpretation and personal understanding of the verse. The Bhagavad Gita has been studied and analyzed by scholars and spiritual leaders for centuries, and different perspectives may exist. Readers are encouraged to explore various interpretations and reflect on what resonates with them.
