Bhagavad-gītā 10.33
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
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
Of letters the letter A am I, and Dvandva of all compounds; I alone am the inexhaustible Time, I the Sustainer (by dispensing fruits of actions) All-formed.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Keep the verse in view while connecting akṣharāṇām (amongst all letters), aham (I), and viśhwataḥ-mukhaḥ (Brahma). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to recognition of divine splendour. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 10.33.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Move from the four-verse core to representative opulences without mistaking examples for an exhaustive inventory.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Of letters the letter A am I
- 2
Dvandva of all compounds
- 3
I alone am the inexhaustible Time, I the Sustainer (by dispensing fruits of actions) All-formed
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Use the line starts: अहमेवाक्षय: कालो / akṣharāṇām a-kāro / aham evākṣhayaḥ.
Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 10.33, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 10.33 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 10.33 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 10.33 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 10.33, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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