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10.33 Among letters, A Krishna speaks

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्वः सामासिकस्य च
अहमेवाक्षयः कालो धाताऽहं विश्वतोमुखः

akṣharāṇām a-kāro ’smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya cha
aham evākṣhayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṁ viśhvato-mukhaḥ

Among letters I am A; among compounds, the pair. I am imperishable Time, and I am the maker who faces every way.

Explanation

Among letters, A.

The first sound, the one every other sound opens from. And among compounds, the pair.

Then: I am imperishable Time, and the maker who faces every way. The verse moves from the smallest unit of speech to the shape of time in one line.

Word by word

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