(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Divine Is The Letter “A” Amongst All Letters, He Is The Dual Word In Grammatical Compounds He Is The Endless Time, And He Is The Brahma

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्व: सामासिकस्य च |
अहमेवाक्षय: कालो धाताहं विश्वतोमुख: || 10.33||

akṣharāṇām a-kāro ’smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya cha
aham evākṣhayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṁ viśhvato-mukhaḥ||10.33||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 10- Ver. 33:

I am the first letter of the alphabet, and I am the dual word in grammatical compounds. I am the eternal Time, and I am Brahma among the creators.

Explanation

All letters in Sanskrit are generated by combining a half-letter with the letter “a.” Sanskrit, despite its age, is a highly refined and complex language. Combining words to produce compound words is a common technique in Sanskrit. When two or more words give up their case ends to form a compound word, this is known as samasa, and the resulting word is known as samasa pada, or compound word.

There are six main types of samasa. Dwandva is the best of them since both words are dominant, but with the others, one word becomes more prominent, or both words combine to create the meaning of a third word. It is emphasised by Shree Krishna as his vibhti.

The act of creation is amazement to witness. The most complex and most advanced inventions of humanity pale in comparison. As a result, Lord Krishna picks out the first-born Brahma, who created the entire universe, and declares that of all the creators, Brahma’s creative talent best displays God’s grandeur.

Verse & what we can learn

The term “akshara” has two meanings: letter and imperishable. According to Shri Krishna, Ishvara manifests himself most prominently in the letter “a” among the aksharas, or imperishable letters. No letter can be pronounced without the help of “a.” Each letter is supposed to have a presiding deity, and “a” has Lord Brahma as its presiding deity. It is Ishvara’s manifestation, which is significant.

When we take a look at Sanskrit grammar. avyavi, tatpurusha, bahuvreehee and dvandva are four different types of compounds. Both words that are connected are given equal weight in the dvandva compound. The other three compounds provide the words that are connected different levels of prominence. Dvandva is the primary expression of Ishvara because it, like Ishvara, maintains sameness between two objects.

Time is consumed in its endless form here. It is kaala, the infinite time that exists before, during, and after the formation of the universe. Ishvara is the ruler of Prakriti and the provider of the fruits of everyone’s actions as the manifestation of endless time. Everyone gets exactly what they deserve because of his omnipresence and omniscience, as represented by the expression looking all directions. So, anytime we read literature, both prose and poetry, or consider the consequences of our acts, we should remember that Ishvara is at work in all of them.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the next Shloka we continue to learn more about Ishvara’s expressions.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…