The first letter, endless time

akṣarāṇāmakāro’asmi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya caahamevākṣayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṃ viśvatomukhaḥ

Of letters I am A. Of compounds, the pair. I am endless time, and the sustainer, facing everywhere.

What it means

Krishna finds himself in language. Among letters, he is A, the first sound, present inside every Sanskrit syllable. Among word compounds, the dvandva, two words joined as equals. He is akshaya kala, time without end. And dhata, the sustainer, whose face turns in every direction, watching over all.

The story

Arjuna, raised on Sanskrit chants, knows how the A sound runs through everything. Krishna says, I'm like that, hidden inside every word, every moment, every direction.

In your life

Say a long, slow ahh out loud, like a sigh of relief. It's the most natural human sound. Use that sigh today when you're tense. Let it remind you of something steady inside.