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Bhagavad-gītā 10.29

अनन्तश्चास्मि नागानां वरुणो यादसामहम् । पितॄणामर्यमा चास्मि यम: संयमतामहम् ॥ २९ ॥
anantaś cāsmi nāgānāṁ
[anantash chaasmi naagaanaam]
varuṇo yādasām aham
[varuno yaadasaam aham]
pitṝṇām aryamā cāsmi
[pitreenaam aryamaa chaasmi]
yamaḥ saṁyamatām aham
[yamah samyamataam aham]
Word-for-word
anantaḥ — Ananta ca — also asmi — I am nāgānām — of the many-hooded serpents varuṇaḥ — the demigod controlling the water yādasām — of all aquatics aham — I am pitṝṇām — of the ancestors aryamā — Aryamā ca — also asmi — I am yamaḥ — the controller of death saṁyamatām — of all regulators aham — I am .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anantaś cāsmi nāgānāṁ
anantaḥ
Ananta
ca
also
asmi
I am
nāgānām
of the many-hooded serpents
varuṇo yādasām aham
varuṇaḥ
the demigod controlling the water
yādasām
of all aquatics
aham
I am
pitṝṇām aryamā cāsmi
pitṝṇām
of the ancestors
aryamā
Aryamā
ca
also
asmi
I am
yamaḥ saṁyamatām aham
yamaḥ
the controller of death
saṁyamatām
of all regulators
aham
I am .
Important Words
  • anantaḥ — Ananta
    'Endless.' The thousand-hooded serpent on whose coils Viṣṇu reclines in the causal ocean. Among the many-hooded nāgas, He is supreme. Note also: Ananta is Saṅkarṣaṇa, a direct expansion of the Lord — vibhūti within a personal expansion.
  • varuṇaḥ — the demigod controlling the water
    Lord of all aquatics (yādasām). Ancient deity of cosmic waters and oaths. Kṛṣṇa picks the deva who governs both the literal seas and the moral element of pledged truth.
  • aryamā — Aryamā
    Chief of the ancestors (pitṛs). The deity who receives ancestral offerings. Kṛṣṇa identifies with the head of the world of the departed — a category most living beings would prefer not to think about.
  • yamaḥ — the controller of death
    Yamarāja — among saṁyamatām (regulators, restrainers), the supreme. Death itself, given a face and a function. Kṛṣṇa puts the Lord of the dead inside His vibhūti catalog, neutralizing the fear that fact-of-death normally produces.
Of the many-hooded Nāgas I am Ananta, and among the aquatics I am the demigod Varuṇa. Of departed ancestors I am Aryamā, and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Two cosmic snakes are distinguished (sarpa vs. nāga); among the divine ones Kṛṣṇa is Ananta-Śeṣa, the bed of Viṣṇu. Among ocean-dwellers, Varuṇa the lawful king. Among ancestors, Aryaman the chief pitṛ. Among restrainers, Yama, the just.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The distinction between sarpa (10.28) and nāga (10.29) is a Purāṇic convention: sarpa is ordinary, nāga is divine. Ananta as the limitless serpent-base of cosmic order echoes Kṛṣṇa's own anantatā (10.19, 10.40). The choice of Yama 'among restrainers' subtly nominates death itself as a divine regulator — to be repeated in 10.34.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
नागानां (मध्ये) अनन्तः च अस्मि; यादसाम् (मध्ये) अहं वरुणः (अस्मि); पितॄणां (मध्ये) अर्यमा च अस्मि; संयमतां (मध्ये) अहं यमः (अस्मि) ।
nāgānāṃ (madhye) anantaḥ ca asmi; yādasām (madhye) ahaṃ varuṇaḥ (asmi); pitṝṇāṃ (madhye) aryamā ca asmi; saṃyamatāṃ (madhye) ahaṃ yamaḥ (asmi) |
Among the divine serpents (Nāgas) I am Ananta; among aquatics I am Varuṇa; among the ancestors I am Aryaman; among those who restrain (and dispense law), I am Yama.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अनन्तः च अस्मि नागानां वरुणः यादसाम् अहम् । पितॄणाम् अर्यमा च अस्मि यमः संयमताम् अहम् ॥
anantaḥ ca asmi nāgānāṃ varuṇaḥ yādasām aham | pitṝṇām aryamā ca asmi yamaḥ saṃyamatām aham ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
अनन्तः anantaḥ अनन्त (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Ananta (Śeṣa)
च अस्मि ca asmi ind. (indeclinable) + √अस् 1sg. and I am
नागानाम् nāgānām नाग (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) among (divine) serpents
वरुणः varuṇaḥ वरुण (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Varuṇa
यादसाम् yādasām यादस् (n.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) among aquatic beings
अहम् aham अस्मद् nom.sg. (nominative singular) I
पितॄणाम् pitṝṇām पितृ (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) among the ancestor-deities
अर्यमा aryamā अर्यमन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Aryaman
यमः yamaḥ यम (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Yama
संयमताम् saṃyamatām सं + √यम् pres. (present) act. part. gen.pl. (genitive plural)m. among those who restrain (govern)
Purport

Among the many-hooded Nāga serpents, Ananta is the greatest, as is the demigod Varuṇa among the aquatics. They both represent Kṛṣṇa. There is also a planet of Pitās, ancestors, presided over by Aryamā, who represents Kṛṣṇa. There are many living entities who give punishment to the miscreants, and among them Yama is the chief. Yama is situated in a planet near this earthly planet. After death those who are very sinful are taken there, and Yama arranges different kinds of punishments for them.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
29. Among Nāgas, [Note: Nāgas have many heads, whereas sarpas, regular snakes, have only one head each.] I am Ananta. Among inhabitants of water I am Varuṇa. Among the Pitṛs, I am Aryamā. Among punishers, I am Yama.
Commentary

Among the inhabitants of the water (yādasām), I am Varuṇa. Among those who punish (saṁyamatām), I am Yama.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
29. Among Nāgas, I am Ananta. Among inhabitants of water, I am Varuṇa. Among the pitṛas, I am Aryamā. Among punishers, I am Yama.
Commentary

Among the Nāgas with many heads, I am Śeṣa. Among aquatic inhabitants, I am Varuṇa, their leader. Among the Pitṛs, I am the lord of the pitṛs called Aryamā. Among punishers, I am Yama who gives just punishment. Using saṁyamatām instead of the regular form saṁyacchatām is poetic license.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

The sarpas mentioned in text 28 refer to one-headed snakes; the nāgas referred to in this verse are

many-hooded.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.29 Naganam, among snakes, of a particular species of snakes; asmi, I am Ananta, the King of snakes. And Varuna, the King yadasam, of the gods of the waters. Pitrnam, among the manes; I am the King of the manes, named Aryama. And samyamatam, among the maintainers of law and order I am Yama.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.26 - 10.29 Of trees I am Asvattha which is worthy of worship. Of celestial seers I am Narada. Kamadhuk is the divine cow. I am Kandarpa, the cause of progeny. Sarpas are single-headed snakes while Nagas are many-headed snakes. Aatic creatures are known as Yadamsi. Of them I am Varuna. Of subdures, I am Yama, the son of the sun-god.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.29 See Comment under 10.42
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.29 I am Ananta among the Nagas; I am Varuna among water-deities; Aryaman among the Manes I am; I am Yama among the governors.
Commentary

10.29 अनन्तः Ananta? च and? अस्मि (I) am? नागानाम् among Nagas? वरुणः Varuna? यादसाम् among watergods? अहम् I? पितृ़णाम् among the Pitris or ancestors? अर्यमा Aryaman? च and? अस्मि (I) am? यमः Yama? संयमताम् among governors? अहम् I.Commentary Ananta is the king of hooded serpents or cobras. He is firecoloured.Varuna is the king of the watergods.Waterdeities The gods connected with waters.Aryaman is the king of the manes.I am Yama? the witness of the acts of all living beings? who keeps account of the good and bad actions of the people.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.29 Among snakes I am Ananta, and Varuna among gods of the waters. Among the manes I am Aryama, and among the maintainers of law and order I am Yama (King of death).
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.29 I am the King-python among snakes, I am the Aqueous Principle among those that live in water, I am the Father of fathers, and among rulers I am Death.
Related values & verses
Related verses
BG 11.39 BG 10.21 BG 9.25 SB 5.25.1 SB 8.21.22 SB 6.3.7 CC Ādi 5.103 CC Madhya 20.211 CC Madhya 6.159 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.1.9Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.9.16
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Of Nāgas I am Ananta; of aquatics I am Varuṇa; of ancestors I am Aryamā; of dispensers of law I am Yama.
Practical Applications
  • Honor Yama (Lord of death) — He brings dharma's accountability.
  • Treat dharmic discipline as Kṛṣṇa's specific opulence.
  • Don't fear death; it serves dharma.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I been resisting accountability?
  • What does Yama's dharma require of me?
Analogy

The thousand-hooded eternal Ananta on whose coils Viṣṇu reclines; the lord of waters; the chief of ancestors; the regulator of all who must die. Kṛṣṇa picks the figures who hold the unseen orders together — beneath, in the depths, behind death's curtain. The visible world rests on these less-visible kings.

Stories
Yama and Naciketas

When the boy Naciketas was sent to Yama's house and waited three days without food, Yama returned and offered him three boons. The third was the most dangerous: tell me what lies beyond death.

Yama tried to deflect, offered wealth, sons, kingdoms — Naciketas refused them all. Yama then taught the Self that does not die, the famous core of the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. Kṛṣṇa names Yama here as His vibhūti among regulators — and Yama's own greatest moment was teaching the Self that exceeds his jurisdiction.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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