Celestial light can awaken devotion.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्ज्योतिषां रविरंशुमान् |मरीचिर्मरुतामस्मि नक्षत्राणामहं शशी ||१०-२१||
ādityānāmahaṃ viṣṇurjyotiṣāṃ raviraṃśumān . marīcirmarutāmasmi nakṣatrāṇāmahaṃ śaśī ||10-21||
Use this verse for sun and moon remembrance.
Meaning
Among Adityas I am Vishnu; among lights I am the radiant sun; among Maruts I am Marichi; among stars I am the moon.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna points to light, order, and celestial beauty as His glory.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The sun and moon become devotional reminders.
Read the traditional commentary
Now begins the great litany of divine glories. Krishna teaches a simple, powerful principle: wherever you find the highest, the brightest, the most excellent example within any class of things, there behold a special manifestation of the Divine. Among the Adityas He is Vishnu; among lights, the radiant sun; among the storm-gods, Marichi; among the stars, the luminous moon.
The pattern is contemplative, not merely informational. By identifying Himself with the most resplendent in each category, Krishna gives the meditating mind countless doorways. Look at the sun and remember Him; gaze at the moon among stars and feel His presence. The world becomes a vast temple in which every glory whispers the name of its Source. This is meditation woven into the very fabric of seeing.
In daily life
Use sunlight and moonlight as Krishna-remembrance triggers.
Seeing morning sunlight can become a one-minute gratitude practice.
Try this today
Pause at sunrise or moonlight and remember Krishna.
I see Krishna in the light of the sun and moon.Reflect
How can light remind me of Krishna?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘ज्योतिषाम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on cosmos, in other chapters
- Verse 9.4The Divine holds all of existence within it, yet remains free and unconfined by anything it sustains.
- Verse 3.7The highest path is to master your mind first, then act wholeheartedly in the world without clinging to the outcome.
- Verse 2.28Expand your vision to include the unmanifest dimension of existence, and attachment to temporary forms will naturally loosen.
- Verse 4.24When you see the divine in the doer, the deed, and the offering alike, every act becomes worship and leads to the infinite.
Swipe left for 10.22 · Consciousness itself points to Krishna.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.21
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.21, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.21, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.21 mean?
Among Adityas I am Vishnu; among lights I am the radiant sun; among Maruts I am Marichi; among stars I am the moon. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.21 for daily life?
Use sunlight and moonlight as Krishna-remembrance triggers. Seeing morning sunlight can become a one-minute gratitude practice.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.21 mean?
आदित्यानाम् — among the Adityas; अहं विष्णुः — I am Vishnu; ज्योतिषाम् — among luminaries; रविः अंशुमान् — the radiant sun; मरीचिः — Marichi.
Where does verse 10.21 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 21 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.22.