FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 10.31

पवन: पवतामस्मि राम: शस्त्रभृतामहम् । झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी ॥ ३१ ॥
pavanaḥ pavatām asmi
[pavanah pavataam asmi]
rāmaḥ śastra-bhṛtām aham
[raamah shastra-bhritaam aham]
jhaṣāṇāṁ makaraś cāsmi
[jhashaanaam makarash chaasmi]
srotasām asmi jāhnavī
[srotasaam asmi jaahnavee]
Word-for-word
pavanaḥ — the wind pavatām — of all that purifies asmi — I am rāmaḥ — Rāma śastra - bhṛtām — of the carriers of weapons aham — I am jhaṣāṇām — of all fish makaraḥ — the shark ca — also asmi — I am srotasām — of flowing rivers asmi — I am jāhnavī — the river Ganges .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pavanaḥ pavatām asmi
pavanaḥ
the wind
pavatām
of all that purifies
asmi
I am
rāmaḥ śastra-bhṛtām aham
rāmaḥ
Rāma
śastra - bhṛtām
of the carriers of weapons
aham
I am
jhaṣāṇāṁ makaraś cāsmi
jhaṣāṇām
of all fish
makaraḥ
the shark
ca
also
asmi
I am
srotasām asmi jāhnavī
srotasām
of flowing rivers
asmi
I am
jāhnavī
the river Ganges .
Important Words
  • pavanaḥ — the wind
    From the root pū — 'to purify.' The wind purifies by moving — clearing air, carrying away staleness. Kṛṣṇa picks the natural purifier-in-motion as the chief of purifying agents.
  • rāmaḥ — Rāma
    Among śastra-bhṛts (weapon-bearers), Rāma is supreme. The avatāra-king who killed Rāvaṇa with the bow. Kṛṣṇa names His own previous-yuga form here — a subtle internal cross-reference.
  • makaraḥ — the shark, the great sea-creature
    Among jhaṣāḥ (fish, aquatic creatures), the makara is the largest, the predator who rules the depths. Also the vehicle of Varuṇa and the symbol on Kandarpa's banner. Kṛṣṇa picks the apex of the aquatic order.
  • jāhnavī — the river Ganges
    Named for the sage Jahnu, who once drank her and released her from his ear. Among rivers, the supreme — purifier of the dead, descended by Bhagīratha's austerity. Kṛṣṇa's river-vibhūti is the river that washes karmic load.
Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Rāma, of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.
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)
Wind among purifiers, Rāma among weapon-bearers, makara among fishes, Gaṅgā among rivers. Kṛṣṇa picks instances of irresistible motion and sanctifying flow — purifying air and sacred water flank martial perfection.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Rāma here is Dāśarathi Rāma, the warrior-king of Ayodhyā. Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) is named via the patronymic from Jahnu, evoking the descent-myth (gaṅgāvataraṇa). The Makara is both fish-lord and Varuṇa's mount. Together these four highlight the divine inside flowing, cleansing, and decisively acting agencies — cross-ref BG 11.39 (vāyur yamo'gniḥ).
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
पवतां (मध्ये) पवनः अस्मि; शस्त्र-भृतां (मध्ये) अहं रामः (अस्मि); झषाणां (मध्ये) मकरः च अस्मि; स्रोतसां (मध्ये) जाह्नवी अस्मि ।
pavatāṃ (madhye) pavanaḥ asmi; śastra-bhṛtāṃ (madhye) ahaṃ rāmaḥ (asmi); jhaṣāṇāṃ (madhye) makaraḥ ca asmi; srotasāṃ (madhye) jāhnavī asmi |
Among purifiers I am the wind; among wielders of weapons I am Rāma; among fishes I am the makara; among flowing streams I am Jāhnavī (the Gaṅgā).
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
पवनः पवताम् अस्मि रामः शस्त्र-भृताम् अहम् । झषाणां मकरः च अस्मि स्रोतसाम् अस्मि जाह्नवी ॥
pavanaḥ pavatām asmi rāmaḥ śastra-bhṛtām aham | jhaṣāṇāṃ makaraḥ ca asmi srotasām asmi jāhnavī ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
पवनः pavanaḥ पवन (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the wind
पवताम् pavatām √पू pres. (present) act. part. gen.pl. (genitive plural)m. among (things) that purify
अस्मि asmi √अस् 1sg. I am
रामः rāmaḥ राम (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Rāma
शस्त्र-भृताम् śastra-bhṛtām शस्त्र (n.) + √भृ pres. (present) act. part. gen.pl. (genitive plural)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) among weapon-bearers
अहम् aham अस्मद् nom.sg. (nominative singular) I
झषाणाम् jhaṣāṇām झष (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) among fishes
मकरः makaraḥ मकर (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the makara (sea-monster)
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
स्रोतसाम् srotasām स्रोतस् (n.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) among flowing rivers
जाह्नवी jāhnavī जाह्नवी (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Jāhnavī (the Gaṅgā)
Purport

Of all the aquatics the shark is one of the biggest and is certainly the most dangerous to man. Thus the shark represents Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
31. Among purifiers and the swift, I am the wind. Among holders of weapons, I am Paraśurāma. Among the fishes, I am the makara. Among rivers, I am the Gaṅgā.
Commentary

Of moving or purifying agents, I am the wind. Among bearers of weapons, I am Paraśurāma. He is suitable as a vibhūti because He is an aveśāvatāra, and because He is an outstanding jīva among those who have been given powers by the Lord. [Note: Rāma is taken as Paraśurāma rather than Rāmacandra, since he is a jīva . A jīva can be a vibhūti, but not the Lord Himself.] Padma Purāṇa, quoted in Bhagavatāmṛta says “O devi, I have recited to you the story of Paraśurāma, a śaktyaveśa avatāra of the Lord.” Also it says, “He took birth as an empowered jīva.” The characteristics of the aveśāvatāra are also mentioned in the Bhagavatāmṛta. “Where a jīva is filled with portions of jñāna-śakti or other śakti of the Lord, he is called aveśāvatāra.” (Laghu Bhagavatāmṛta 1.4 .39, 1.4.38, 1.1.18) Among fish (jhaṣāṇām), I am the makara, a special type of fish. Among rivers (srotasām), I am the Gaṅgā.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
31. Among purifiers and the swift, I am the wind. Among holders of weapons, I am Paraśurāma. Among the fishes, I am the makara. Among rivers, I am the Gaṅgā.
Commentary

Among purifiers or among swift things, I am the wind. I am Paraśurāma (rāmaḥ) among wielders of weapons. Among fish I am the makara, a special variety of fish. Among flowing waters, I am the Gaṅgā.

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

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa comments that the Rāma referred to here is Paraśurāma because

Kṛṣṇa is explaining His vibhūtis, His opulences, not His incarnations. Paraśurāma is a living entity

empowered (śakty-āveśa) to wield weapons.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.31 Pavatam, of the purifiers; I am pavanah, air. Sastra-bhrtam, among weilders of weapons, I am Rama, son of Dasaratha. Jhasanam, among fishes etc; I am the particular species of fish called makarah shark. I am jahnavi, Ganga; srotasam, among rivers, among streams of water.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.31 Of moving things, namely, of things whose nature is to move, I am the wind. Of those who bear weapons, I am Rama. Here the ality of bearing weapons is the Vibhuti, as no other sense is possible. Aditya etc., being individual selves, constitute attributes of the Lord, who is their Self as they constitute His body. Therefore they stand in the same position of the attribute as that of bearing weapons.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.31 See Comment under 10.42
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.31 Among the purifiers (or the speeders) I am the wind; Rama among the warriors am I; among the fishes I am the shark; among the streams I am the Ganga.
Commentary

10.31 पवनः the wind? पवताम् among purifiers or the speeders? अस्मि (I) am? रामः Rama? शस्त्रभृताम् among wielders of weapons (warriors)? अहम् I? झषाणाम् among fishes? मकरः Makara (shark)? च and? अस्मि (I) am? स्रोतसाम् among streams? अस्मि (I) am? जाह्नवी the Ganga.Commentary The holy river Ganga (spelt Ganges in English) was swallowed by Jahnu when she was being brought down by Bhagiratha from heaven. Hence the name Jahnavi for Ganga.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.31 Of the purifiers I am air; among the wielders of weapons I am Rama. Among fishes, too, I am the shark; I am Ganga among rivers.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.31 I am the Wind among purifiers, the King Rama among warriors; I am the Crocodile among the fishes, and I am the Ganges among rivers.
Related values & verses
Related verses
BG 4.7 BG 10.24 BG 9.22 SB 9.10.1 SB 5.17.1 SB 1.19.6 CC Ādi 5.145 CC Madhya 9.178 CC Antya 2.13 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.4Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.10.1
Concepts
JivaAvatara
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Of purifiers I am the wind; of warriors I am Rāma; of fishes I am the shark; of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.
Practical Applications
  • Bathe in or remember the Ganges as a purification practice.
  • Honor Rāma as warrior-Lord, not just gentle prince.
  • Recognize the wind, rivers, and creatures as specific Kṛṣṇa-presences.
Reflection Questions
  • When did I last connect with sacred water?
  • What practice could renew that?
Analogy

Among purifiers, the wind that carries fragrance and clears stagnation; among warriors, the avatāra who teaches dharma with the bow; among fish, the predator who masters the depths; among rivers, the one whose touch washes lifetimes. Kṛṣṇa picks the agents that move, cleanse, and carry across.

Stories
Rāma's vow of one word, one wife, one arrow

Rāma, named here as the chief among wielders of weapons, was renowned not only for his archery but for his single-pointed dharma. One word given was kept; one wife alone was married; one arrow drawn was enough.

When Rāvaṇa abducted Sītā, Rāma did not unleash mass destruction — he assembled an army of monkeys, observed every protocol of war, and finally killed Rāvaṇa with one well-placed shaft. Kṛṣṇa names Rāma as His weapon-bearer-vibhūti because among śastra-bhṛts, none combined skill and restraint so completely.

Bhagīratha bringing the Ganges

King Bhagīratha did austerities for years so that the heavenly Ganges would descend and purify his ancestors' ashes. Ganges agreed but warned her fall would shatter the earth. Śiva caught her in his hair; she emerged as a softer stream and reached the plains.

Kṛṣṇa names her here as His river-vibhūti — Jāhnavī, named for the sage Jahnu who later swallowed and re-released her. The whole story is one of purification through cosmic cooperation. The verse's word pavatām — 'of purifiers' — applies equally to the wind (named in this verse) and to her.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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