UdyamGita

Some entrepreneurs follow extreme steps, thinking these will help them find success. Being workaholic, not focusing on food and health, going sleepless for many days, not following any discipline or schedule, and working under self created hard conditions, they believe they are getting closer to success.

But in reality, this is often to show others the hardship they are facing and to boost their ego by being appreciated for the effort they are putting in despite the difficulties. In doing so, they are not only torturing their body and mind but also harming the true entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurship is a long race, and one must maintain the energy, mindset, and motivation needed to run a business. If they start burning out unnecessarily, they will be left with no energy, ultimately crushing the entrepreneurial spirit.

Krishna delivers a sharp warning. Some people engage in severe austerities not sanctioned by wisdom, driven instead by ego, hypocrisy, and obsession. Outwardly, these acts appear disciplined and heroic. In reality, they are fueled by desire and attachment.

Such individuals torture their own body and mind, and in doing so, they also disrespect the higher consciousness that resides within them. Krishna calls this not discipline, but demoniacal resolve—effort without understanding, sacrifice without balance.

Business Insight

This verse maps uncomfortably well to modern entrepreneurship.

Some founders believe that extreme suffering equals success.

They glorify:

• sleepless nights stretched endlessly,
• neglect of food, health, and relationships,
• chaotic routines with no rhythm or recovery,
• self-imposed hardship celebrated as “grind.”

They assume that harsher conditions will somehow unlock breakthroughs.

But beneath this lies a subtle trap: performative struggle.

The hardship is not just for results—it becomes a badge of honor, a way to signal sacrifice, attract admiration, and feed the ego.

In trying to prove commitment, they slowly destroy the very system—their body, mind, and clarity—on which entrepreneurship depends.

Leadership Lesson

Entrepreneurship is not a sprint of pain; it is a long-distance journey of sustained energy.

When founders glorify burnout:

• decision quality declines,
• creativity dries up,
• emotional regulation collapses,
• purpose gets replaced by survival.

This is not discipline; it is misdirected intensity.

True leadership protects the instrument through which value is created—the entrepreneur themselves.

Burning yourself out does not impress the market.

It only shortens your runway.

Key Takeaways

• Extreme hustle without wisdom is ego, not excellence.
• Suffering is not a prerequisite for success; sustainability is.
• Neglecting health and rhythm weakens long-term leadership capacity.
• Entrepreneurship demands endurance, not self-punishment.
• When effort becomes performance, purpose quietly dies.