Mantra 3

Sukta 54

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

कालो ह भूतं भव्यं च पुत्रो अजनयत् पुरा। कालादृचः समभवन् यजुः कालादजायत

IAST Transliteration

kāláḥ ha bhūtáṃ bhávyam ca putró ajanayat purā́ | kālād ŕcaḥ sám abhavan yájuḥ kālād ajāyata

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Time, verily, as a Son, begat of old both what hath been and what shall be. From Time the Ṛc-verses came to full being; from Time the Yajus was born.

Translation

Le Temps, en vérité, tel un Fils, engendra jadis l’être‑advenu et l’être‑à‑venir. Du Temps les strophes Ṛc vinrent à pleine existence ; du Temps naquit le Yajus.

Word by Word

• कालः: Time (as agent)
• कालः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √कल् (गणना/समय-निर्णय) से निष्पन्न

• ह: indeed / verily
• ह: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (निपात)

• भूतम्: the past / what has been
• भूतम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक; √भू ‘to be’ से क्त)

• भव्यम्: the future / what will be
• भव्यम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: भव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √भू से यत्-प्रत्यय ‘to be’ → ‘that which will be’)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: कर्म (अजनयत् का द्वितीयकर्म/उत्पाद्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• अजनयत्: generated / produced
• अजनयत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (जनने) [णिच्] → जनयति

• पुरा: formerly / of old
• पुरा: अधिकरण (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)

• कालात्: from Time
• कालात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋचः: Ṛc-verses (Rig-vedic hymns)
• ऋचः: कर्तृ (समभवन्) / अथवा कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सम्: together / completely (prefix)
• सम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग)

• अभवन्: came into being / arose
• अभवन्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (सत्तायाम्)

• यजुः: Yajus-formula (Yajur-vedic text)
• यजुः: कर्तृ (अजायत) / अथवा कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• कालात्: from Time
• कालात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)

• अजायत: was born / arose
• अजायत: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (जनने)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally ascribed in AV tradition to a late Atharvanic seer (often treated as anonymous/Ātharvaṇa in late speculative hymns).

Devata: Kāla (Time), personified as supreme principle

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant late-book cadence; mixed/late style possible)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"Wonder at cosmic origin → calm acceptance of order.","listener_experience":"Awe that settles into steadiness and patience.","intensity":4}