Yoga through Appreciating the Infinite Opulences of God
Verse 10.33
अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्वः सामासिकस्य च। अहमेवाक्षयः कालो धाताऽहं विश्वतोमुखः।।10.33।।
अहमेवाक्षय: कालो धाताहं विश्वतोमुख: || 33|| akṣharāṇām a-kāro ’smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya cha aham evākṣhayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṁ viśhvato-mukhaḥ
Word Meanings
akṣharāṇām—amongst all letters; a-kāraḥ—the beginning letter “A”; asmi—I am; dvandvaḥ—the dual; sāmāsikasya—amongst grammatical compounds; cha—and; aham—I; eva—only; akṣhayaḥ—endless; kālaḥ—time; dhātā—amongst the creators; aham—I; viśhwataḥ-mukhaḥ—Brahma
Translation · English
Among the letters of the alphabet, I am the letter 'A' and the dual among compounds. I am verily the inexhaustible and everlasting time; I am the dispenser of the fruits of actions, having faces in all directions.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Krishna reveals that the Divine is not merely a distant entity but the underlying fabric of existence. By identifying Himself with the letter 'A'—the foundational vowel from which all speech emanates—and the 'dvandva' (dual) compound—which represents the harmony of opposites—Krishna illustrates that God is the structure within structure. He is the substrate that allows expression to exist, highlighting that language and logic are themselves divine manifestations meant to point back toward the Source. By naming Himself as 'Endless Time' (Akshaya Kala), Krishna shifts our perspective from the perception of transient events to the immutable witness that allows change to occur. He is the constant flux and the silent background that remains untouched by the passage of moments. Furthermore, by identifying as the creator Brahma (Dhata), He establishes that every creative impulse in the universe is an expression of His own infinite potential. This verse serves as a meditative tool for the seeker to recognize that everything we perceive—our communication, our measurement of time, and our creative capacities—are but ripples in the ocean of Krishna's reality. It invites Arjuna, and by extension the reader, to dissolve the sense of a separate 'doer' by realizing that the Divine is the active agent in all cosmic functions. When one sees that God is the beginning of the alphabet and the end of time, the barriers between the secular and the sacred dissolve completely.
The Divine is not just an object of worship but the fundamental structural principle—the logic, the language, and the time—through which the entire universe is expressed and sustained.
Connected Verses
Krishna declares 'I am Time, the destroyer of worlds,' which echoes the 'Endless Time' mentioned here, showing His absolute control over the manifest reality.
Similar to identifying as the letter 'A', Krishna declares Himself the 'Self' seated in the hearts of all beings, acting as the core of existence.
This verse reinforces the theme of God being the ritual, the mantra, and the offering, confirming His presence in every aspect of action.
Krishna describes Himself as the taste in water and the sound in ether, mirroring the identification of His essence within physical elements.
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