UdyamGita

There are a few qualities of an entrepreneur that will make him a successful businessman. These qualities should be developed before one starts entrepreneurship, and they will remain with him even after he steps back from the active role of entrepreneurship. These qualities also define him as a fine human being.

After defining knowledge through lived qualities, Krishna now points to the ultimate object of knowledge—that which, once known, grants immortality.

He describes it as beginningless, beyond conventional definitions of existence and non-existence. This is not something created, acquired, or lost. It precedes roles, bodies, and outcomes, and remains untouched by time.

Krishna is shifting Arjuna’s attention from how to live to what truly endures.

Business Insight

For an entrepreneur, this verse signals a powerful truth:

Businesses are temporary; the inner qualities that build them are permanent.

There are certain entrepreneurial traits:

• Vision beyond immediate gain
• Integrity that does not fluctuate with circumstances
• Clarity of purpose that survives success and failure
• Inner stability that outlasts titles and roles

These qualities:

• Must be cultivated before starting the entrepreneurial journey
• Sustain the entrepreneur through growth, chaos, and setbacks
• Remain intact even after stepping away from active leadership

They define not just a successful businessperson, but a complete human being.

Leadership Lesson

Krishna’s message is subtle but decisive:

Do not confuse success with essence.

Revenue, valuation, market share—these belong to the realm of existence and non-existence. They rise and fall.

But character, purpose, and inner clarity belong to a deeper layer of leadership—one that does not begin with a startup and does not end with an exit.

Great entrepreneurs are remembered not for what they built, but for who they became while building it.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship is a phase; inner leadership qualities are lifelong.
• True success comes from traits that survive beyond roles and businesses.
• Founders must develop character before scale—otherwise growth amplifies weakness.
• What you build may end; who you become endures.
• The highest entrepreneurial achievement is becoming a refined human being.