A declaration · expansive in mood · a little context helps
“The divine is visible in every order of existence.”
Among serpents I am Ananta; among water beings I am Varuna. Among ancestors I am Aryaman; among those who govern, I am Yama.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
Read literallyAnanta · and · I am · of serpents · Varuna · of water beings · I · of ancestors · Aryaman · and · I am · Yama · of those who govern · I am
Krishna says he is the highest presence among serpents, water beings, ancestors, and rulers. He is showing that his presence runs through every level of the world.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Vibhuti Yoga" (The Yoga of Divine Glories).
Verse 29 sits in Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita — Vibhuti Yoga, "The Yoga of Divine Glories". The chapter has 42 verses in total.
At a shraddh ceremony, the family offers water and rice to the ancestors and thinks of those who have died. Krishna names himself as Aryaman among ancestors and Yama among rulers, so he is present in that rite too.
Did you like this verse?
Ananta, Varuna, Aryaman and Yama: serpent, waters, ancestors and the god who governs death all name Krishna.
What this verse means
Krishna says he is the highest presence among serpents, water beings, ancestors, and rulers. He is showing that his presence runs through every level of the world.
Context & commentary
Arjuna is overwhelmed and Krishna begins describing how his presence appears throughout the world. Here he names serpents, water beings, ancestors, and rulers, showing that the same divine reality animates both nature and social order.
What it looks like today
At a shraddh ceremony, the family offers water and rice to the ancestors and thinks of those who have died. Krishna names himself as Aryaman among ancestors and Yama among rulers, so he is present in that rite too.
“Nothing is spiritually ordinary; even structures of power and lineage can be seen as sacred.”
Explore related themes: vibhuti (43 verses)