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. Hover 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.
You sit in a room full of titles, family history, and hidden hierarchies. This verse asks you to see the same sacred presence moving through all of it, not just in obvious holy moments.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from isolated things to the one presence expressed through many forms.
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
On the battlefield, Arjuna is overwhelmed and Krishna begins revealing 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.
Why this verse still matters
You sit in a room full of titles, family history, and hidden hierarchies. This verse asks you to see the same sacred presence moving through all of it, not just in obvious holy moments.
“Nothing is spiritually ordinary; even structures of power and lineage can be seen as sacred.”
Explore related themes: vibhuti (43 verses)