Bhagavad Gita BG 10.31
Chapter 10, Verse 31 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम् । झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी ॥
pavanah pavatam asmi ramah shastra-bhrtam aham jhushanam makarash casmi srotasam asmi jahnavi
Meaning
Among purifiers I am the wind (Pavana); among weapon-wielders I am Rama; among fish I am the Makara (the great sea creature); among rivers I am the Ganga (Jahnavi).
Understanding
Four vibhutis in the realms of purification, warriors, creatures, and sacred rivers: (1) Pavatam Pavanah — among the purifiers, I am Pavana (wind/Vayu). The word pavana comes from the same root as pavaka (purifier) — the wind purifies by movement, by carrying away impurity, by the breath of life. (2) Shastra-bhrtam Ramah — among weapon-wielders I am Rama. This likely refers to Parashurama (Rama with the axe) or to Ramachandra — the supreme ideal of the dharmic warrior, the king who upholds righteousness with the sword. (3) Jhushanam Makarah — among fish/aquatic creatures, I am Makara (the great sea monster, the crocodile-like mythic being, the vehicle of Ganga and Varuna). (4) Srotasam Jahnavi — among rivers I am the Jahnavi (the Ganga, daughter of Jahnu). The Ganga is the supreme sacred river, believed to carry the power of liberation.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पवनः | pavanah | wind, the purifying wind (Vayu — also father of Hanuman) |
| पवताम् | pavatam | among purifiers, among those who purify |
| शस्त्रभृताम् | shastra-bhrtam | among weapon-bearers, among the armed |
| मकरः | makarah | Makara — the mythic great sea-creature (crocodile/shark/sea-dragon) |
| जाह्नवी | jahnavi | the Ganga (Jahnavi — daughter of the sage Jahnu) |
| पवनः | pavanaḥ | the wind |
| पवताम् | pavatām | of purifiers |
| अस्मि | asmi | I am |
| रामः | rāmaḥ | Rama |
| शस्त्र-भृताम् | śastra-bhṛtām | of weapon-bearers |
| अहम् | aham | I am |
| झषाणाम् | jhaṣāṇām | of fish |
| मकरः | makaraḥ | the Makara (shark/crocodile) |
| च | ca | and |
| अस्मि | asmi | I am |
| स्रोतसाम् | srotasām | of flowing rivers |
| अस्मि | asmi | I am |
| जाह्नवी | jāhnavī | the Ganga (daughter of Jahnu) |
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