Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 21

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्ज्योतिषां रविरंशुमान् ।
मरीचिर्मरुतामस्मि नक्षत्राणामहं शशी ॥

Transliteration

ādityānāmahaṃ viṣṇurjyotiṣāṃ raviraṃśumān .
marīcirmarutāmasmi nakṣatrāṇāmahaṃ śaśī ॥

Meaning

Among the Adityas I am Vishnu; among lights, the radiant sun; among the Maruts I am Marichi; among the stars, I am the moon.

Word meanings

आदित्यानाम् – among the twelve sons of Aditi
अहम् – I
विष्णुः – Vishnu (Vamana)
ज्योतिषाम् – among luminaries
रविः – the sun
अंशुमान् – radiant, rayed
मरीचिः – Marichi
मरुताम् – among the Maruts
अस्मि – I am
नक्षत्राणाम् – among the stars
अहम् – I
शशी – the moon

Anvaya (word order)

आदित्यानाम् अहं विष्णुः, ज्योतिषाम् अंशुमान् रविः, मरुताम् मरीचिः अस्मि, नक्षत्राणाम् अहं शशी (अस्मि) ।

Explanation

From here Krishna begins listing His finest expressions in various classes. Every phrase has the same pattern, ‘among these, I am that’: whatever stands supreme in its class reveals His radiance in a special way.

Adityanam aham vishnuh, ‘among the Adityas I am Vishnu’. The Adityas are the twelve sons of the sage Kashyapa and Aditi: Dhata, Mitra, Aryama, Shakra (Indra), Varuna, Amsha, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusha, Savita, Tvashta and Vishnu. Vishnu is the youngest, who as Vamana measured the three worlds in three strides and restored the gods’ kingdom from King Bali. Though the smallest, He is the greatest; that is His glory.

Jyotisham ravir amshuman, ‘among lights I am the radiant sun’. Fire, lightning and stars all shine, but the sun is the most brilliant; it sustains life on earth and even the moon shines by its light. Amshuman, possessed of countless rays, conveys its vast reach.

Marichir marutam asmi, ‘among the Maruts I am Marichi’. The Maruts are storm and wind deities, forty-nine in number according to the Puranas, companions of Indra; Marichi is the most brilliant among them (distinct from the sage Marichi). Nakshatranam aham shashi, ‘among the stars I am the moon’. The night sky holds countless stars, but the moon is the coolest and loveliest; it nourishes plants and calms the mind. The sun’s blaze and the moon’s coolness are both forms of the Lord.

Context

In verse 20 Krishna declared Himself the Self in the hearts of all. From here He begins listing His glories in particular classes: Adityas, luminaries, Maruts and stars. In the next verse He names His presence among the Vedas, the gods, the senses and the consciousness of beings.

Life lesson

Being small is no barrier to greatness; as Vamana, Vishnu accomplished the mightiest deed. Learn radiance from the sun and coolness from the moon; the balance of both in life is a mark of the divine.

Key terms

Aditya: the twelve divine sons of Aditi
Vishnu (Vamana): youngest of the Adityas, who spanned the worlds in three strides
Amshuman Ravi: the radiant sun
Maruts: wind and storm deities, companions of Indra
Shashi: the moon