Powerful support is useful; righteous intention is essential.
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra
भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः।अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च।।
bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca kṛpaś ca samitiñjayaḥ aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca saumadattis tathaiva ca
Use this verse when power and ethics feel mixed.
Meaning
There is yourself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and Kripa who wins every battle; Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and the son of Somadatta as well.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Duryodhana lists powerful names on his side. A strong network is valuable, but it cannot replace inner righteousness.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse presents impressive warriors: Drona, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa and others. Externally, Duryodhana seems well-supported. Yet the Gita quietly reminds us that having powerful people around us does not guarantee inner correctness. Many people today feel secure because of contacts, titles, money or influence. These can help, but they cannot protect a person from the consequences of wrong intention. Dharma is the deepest protection.
Read the traditional commentary
Duryodhana names the titans of his own side — Bhishma the grandsire, Karna the tragic hero, Drona the master archer, and others. Each name carries the weight of a legend. Yet even in this proud recitation, there is pathos: most of these warriors — including Bhishma and Drona — have deep affection for the Pandavas and will fight against their own hearts throughout the battle.
Karna's presence in this list is especially charged. Born to Kunti (Arjuna's own mother), he is fighting on the side that opposes his blood brothers, bound by loyalty to Duryodhana who was kind to him when the world rejected him. The complexity of dharmic obligation — to loyalty, to birth, to truth — is compressed into these few names.
For the modern reader, these verses echo the painful reality that our greatest conflicts often involve people we love or respect on both sides. The capacity to hold that complexity without collapsing into hatred or denial is one of the Gita's deepest teachings.
In daily life
Do not confuse influence with integrity. Build both, but never sacrifice integrity.
A professional may have senior backing, but if the project is misleading, support cannot make it right.
Try this today
Review one decision and ask: if no powerful person supported me, would this still be right?
I seek support, but I stand first with truth.Reflect
Am I relying on people and power more than truth?
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Quick check
What does ‘सौमदत्तिः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on dharma, in other chapters
- Verse 4.7When righteousness declines, a restoring force always arises — injustice is never the final word.
- Verse 7.11Strength and desire are sacred when freed from greed and aligned with what is right — refine your longings rather than crush them.
- Verse 9.2The highest spiritual path is also the most accessible — a purifying truth you can verify in your own direct experience.
- Verse 10.28Life's elemental energies — power, abundance, love — are sacred when rightly directed toward their Divine source.
Swipe left for 1.9 · Loyalty must serve dharma, not ego.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 1.8
Who says Bhagavad Gita 1.8, and to whom?
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra in verse 1.8, in Chapter 1, Arjuna's Dilemma (Arjuna Vishada Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 1.8 mean?
There is yourself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and Kripa who wins every battle; Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and the son of Somadatta as well. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 1.8 for daily life?
Do not confuse influence with integrity. Build both, but never sacrifice integrity. A professional may have senior backing, but if the project is misleading, support cannot make it right.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 1.8 mean?
भवान् — yourself (Drona); भीष्मः — Bhishma; कर्णः — Karna; कृपः — Kripa; समितिञ्जयः — ever-victorious in battle.
Where does verse 1.8 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 8 of 47 in Chapter 1, Arjuna's Dilemma. The next verse is 1.9.