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BG 10.31 — 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.
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पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम् |
झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी ||१०-३१||

pavanaḥ pavatāmasmi rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāmaham . jhaṣāṇāṃ makaraścāsmi srotasāmasmi jāhnavī ||10-31||


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.

Word-by-word meanings

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.

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

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.

Swami Gambirananda

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.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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