True knowledge transforms character.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् |आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ||१३-८||
amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam . ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ ||13-8||
Use this verse as a character checklist.
Meaning
Humility, absence of pretence, non-violence, patience, straightforwardness, service to the teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-control.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna begins defining true knowledge as character qualities.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
In the Gita, knowledge is not just information. It becomes humility, honesty, non-violence, patience, purity, steadiness, and self-control.
Read the traditional commentary
Having mapped the field, Krishna now defines true knowledge (jnana) not as mere information but as a way of living. This verse begins a remarkable list of virtues that together constitute wisdom in practice. He starts with humility (amanitva) and freedom from pretence (adambhitva) — for ego and show are the very obstacles that blind us to the knower within.
Non-injury, forgiveness, and uprightness orient us rightly toward others; service of the teacher (acharyopasana) keeps us teachable; purity, steadfastness, and self-control discipline the inner life. What is striking is that Krishna equates knowledge with character. One cannot truly perceive the subtle self while gripped by arrogance or cruelty.
These qualities are not preconditions imposed from outside but the natural fragrance of a mind clarifying itself. To cultivate them is to prepare the field so the knower can be clearly seen.
In daily life
Measure learning by humility and self-control, not only concepts.
A person who studies spirituality but becomes arrogant has not yet digested knowledge.
Try this today
Choose one quality: humility, patience, purity, or self-control.
My knowledge becomes humble character.Reflect
Which knowledge-quality do I need most today?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘आर्जवम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on character, in other chapters
- Verse 16.1Spiritual nobility is built not from grand gestures but from steady daily virtues — fearlessness, purity, self-restraint, and honesty.
- Verse 4.39Faith, wholehearted focus, and self-discipline open the door to wisdom — and wisdom swiftly brings supreme peace.
- Verse 7.26The Infinite cannot be captured by the measuring mind — it is known only through grace and surrender, never as an object.
- Verse 8.1 · ArjunaReal understanding begins when you have the courage to ask what a teaching truly means rather than pretending to know.
Swipe left for 13.9 · Impermanence-awareness supports detachment.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 13.8
Who says Bhagavad Gita 13.8, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 13.8, in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga (Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 13.8 mean?
Humility, absence of pretence, non-violence, patience, straightforwardness, service to the teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-control. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 13.8 for daily life?
Measure learning by humility and self-control, not only concepts. A person who studies spirituality but becomes arrogant has not yet digested knowledge.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 13.8 mean?
अमानित्वम् — humility, absence of pride; अदम्भित्वम् — unpretentiousness, absence of hypocrisy; अहिंसा — non-injury, harmlessness; क्षान्तिः — forgiveness, patience; आर्जवम् — uprightness, straightforwardness.
Where does verse 13.8 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 8 of 35 in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 13.9.