10-21

आदित्यानाम् अहम् विष्णुः ज्योतिषाम् रविः अन्शुमान् ।
मरीचिः मरुताम् अस्मि नक्षत्राणाम् अहम् शशी ॥ २१ ॥

AdityAnAm aham viSNuH jyotiSAm raviH anzumAn |
marIciH marutAm asmi nakSatrANAm aham zazI || 21 ||

आदित्यानाम् [AdityAnAm] In the powers of nature , अहम् विष्णुः [aham viSNuH] I am Vishnu, the all-pervasive. ज्योतिषाम् [jyotiSAm] In all luminous things, रविः अन्शुमान् [raviH anzumAn] I am the sun that has the greatest brightness. मरुताम् [marutAm] Among the powers of war, मरीचिः अस्मि [marIciH asmi] I am the most powerful. नक्षत्राणाम् [nakSatrANAm] Among the stars, अहम् शशी [aham zazI] I appear as the moon.

Among the pervasive powers of nature, personified by the twelve gods who are sons of Aditi, I am the one called Vishnu - the supreme, all-pervasive.

In everything that’s luminous, I am the sun having greatest brightness; I provide all the luminosity in this world.

Among the powers of war, I am the greatest one called Marichi.

Among the stars, I appear as the moon

Here, the word ‘among’ is not used in the sense of being ‘one among’, nor is it used to indicate that the Lord is special among similar things. Rather, it illustrates how the Lord is distinct in His pervasiveness and superiority, while being in the midst of everything. For instance, while the moon is present among the stars, the experience of moon-shine is especially intimate in contrast to distant starlight.

Continuing on the same thread, He says in the next Shloka: ‘I am the consciousness in all beings’.