THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER 10, VERSE 33, VIBHUTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 10

VIBHUTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS:

VERSE NUMBER 33

Text in Transliteration:

aksharaanaam akaaro ‘smi dvandvah saamaasikasya cha

aham evaa ‘kshayah kaalo dhaataa ‘ham visvatomukhah:

Sanskrit words and phrases and their meaning:

aksharaanaam = among letters; akaarah: = the letter A; asmi = (I); dvandvah: = the dual; saamaasikasya = among all compounds; cha = and; aham = I; eva = verily; akshayah: = the inexhaustible or everlasting; kaalah: = time; dhaataa = the dispenser; aham = I; visvatomukhah: = the all faced.

Text in English:

Of letters I am the letter A, and of word-compounds I am the dual (Dvandva). I am verily the inexhaustible Time. I am the Dispenser facing everywhere.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Brahman, the Unmanifest Reality, manifests Itself as Naada Brahman or Sound Reality. The universe is the gross manifestation of Sound Reality. A thing in the world is called pada-artha which means word and its meaning. The homogeneous sum total of the sound in the Cosmos is “Om.” The very first phase of this monosyllable is the letter A, the modifications of which form the other letters. In all languages A is the first letter and it is rightly equated with Brahman.

Word-compounds in Sanskrit conform to certain principles. While compounding themselves when two words retain equal importance they are called the dual or dvandva. For example, Rama and Krishna together form Ramakrishna, both the personalities maintaining their individualities.

A moment, an hour, a day, a year—divisions of time such as these have their beginnings and ends. But time in itself is beginningless and endless, and it is equated with God who is called Mahaakaala.

The Lord Himself has become the multitudinous beings, each of them enjoying the fruits of its own karma. In this way the Lord is the Dispenser. Because of His being present everywhere as the countless individualities, He is termed as facing everywhere. This fact is self-evident in Nature.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

kaala: time. Cp. kaalasvaroopi bhagavaan krrshnah:. Vishnu puraana, v. 38

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Among the alphabets I am the letter ‘A’. Among the various kinds of compounds used in Sanskrit language I am the Dvandva (union of the two), the copulative.

Time here refers to the moment, the ultimate element of time or to Parameshvara, the Supreme Lord Who is the time of even time, since He is beyond time.

As the Supreme Being is all-pervading it is said that He has faces in all directions.