Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 8

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit verse

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः ।
अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च ॥

Transliteration

bhavānbhīṣmaśca karṇaśca kṛpaśca samitiñjayaḥ .
aśvatthāmā vikarṇaśca saumadattistathaiva ca ॥

Meaning

Yourself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa who is ever victorious in battle, Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and likewise the son of Somadatta (Bhurishrava).

Word meanings

भवान् – your good self (Drona)
भीष्मः – Bhishma
च – and
कर्णः – Karna
कृपः – Kripa
समितिञ्जयः – ever victorious in battle
अश्वत्थामा – Ashvatthama (Drona's son)
विकर्णः – Vikarna (Duryodhana's brother)
सौमदत्तिः – the son of Somadatta (Bhurishrava)
तथा एव – likewise

Anvaya (word order)

भवान् भीष्मः च कर्णः च समितिञ्जयः कृपः च अश्वत्थामा विकर्णः च तथा एव सौमदत्तिः च ।

Explanation

Duryodhana begins his own list with bhavan, 'yourself'. Bhishma was the commander-in-chief, yet he names Drona first, a shrewd move to keep the teacher pleased. Then comes Bhishma: son of the river Ganga, who took a lifelong vow of celibacy, held the boon of choosing the hour of his death, and was the eldest warrior of the Kuru line.

Karna was in truth Kunti's firstborn, abandoned at birth and raised by the charioteer Adhiratha. An archer equal to Arjuna and Duryodhana's dearest friend, he had vowed not to fight while Bhishma led the army, after a quarrel with him, and so entered the battle only on the eleventh day.

Kripa was the family preceptor of the Kurus; the epithet samitinjaya, 'ever victorious in battle', belongs to him. He was one of the very few who survived the war and is counted among the chiranjivis, the long-lived ones. Ashvatthama was Drona's son, and naming him touches the father's love. Vikarna, Duryodhana's brother, had alone protested the humiliation of Draupadi in the dice hall, proof of his sense of dharma. Saumadatti is Bhurishrava, son of Somadatta of the Bahlika line, a hero known for his many sacrifices.

The list holds both the righteous and the unrighteous. Good men like Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Vikarna stood on the side of adharma, bound by duty or obligation. This is one of the deepest tragedies of the Mahabharata.

Context

In the previous verse Duryodhana said he would introduce the leaders of his army; here he names them. In the next verse he refers collectively to the countless other heroes on his side.

Life lesson

Being a good person is not enough; whom we stand with matters just as much. The lives of Bhishma and Drona teach that support given to wrongdoing, even out of silence or obligation, finally leads to sorrow.

Key terms

Bhishma: son of Ganga and Shantanu, lifelong celibate, first commander of the Kaurava army
Karna: Kunti's firstborn, raised as a charioteer's son, friend of Duryodhana
Kripa: family preceptor of the Kurus, counted among the long-lived ones
Ashvatthama: son of Drona, a formidable warrior
Samitinjaya: ever victorious in battle