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Shloka 5

Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time

अणुर्द्वौ परमाणु स्यात्त्रसरेणुस्त्रय: स्मृत: । जालार्करश्म्यवगत: खमेवानुपतन्नगात् ॥ ५ ॥

aṇur dvau paramāṇū syāt trasareṇus trayaḥ smṛtaḥ jālārka-raśmy-avagataḥ kham evānupatann agāt

Deux aṇu forment un paramāṇu, et trois paramāṇu sont appelés trasareṇu. Ce trasareṇu se voit dans les rayons du soleil qui passent par les trous d’un treillis de fenêtre, et il semble s’élever vers le ciel.

अणुःan atom/minute particle
अणुः:
कर्ता (प्रथमा/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअणु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
द्वौtwo
द्वौ:
विशेषण (to ‘परमाणू’)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; numeral adjective ‘two’
परम-अणूsupreme atoms (paramāṇus)
परम-अणू:
समानााधिकरण (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootपरम (प्रातिपदिक) + अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समास: परमश्चासौ अणुः (कर्मधारय)
स्यात्would be/is said to be
स्यात्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
त्रस-रेणुःa trasareṇu (mote)
त्रस-रेणुः:
कर्ता (प्रथमा/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रस (प्रातिपदिक) + रेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समास: त्रसश्चासौ रेणुः (कर्मधारय)
त्रयःthree
त्रयः:
विशेषण (to implied ‘परमाणवः’)
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; numeral adjective ‘three’
स्मृतःis said/considered
स्मृतः:
क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय (Predicate participle)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्मृत (कृदन्त, √स्मृ धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) from √स्मृ ‘to remember’ → ‘is considered/said’
जाल-अर्क-रश्मि-अवगतःperceived by a beam of sunlight through a lattice
जाल-अर्क-रश्मि-अवगतः:
विशेषण (to implied subject, e.g., ‘त्रसरेणुः’)
TypeAdjective
Rootजाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक) + अवगत (कृदन्त, √गम् धातु with अव-)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अवगत’ = क्त (PPP) from √गम्; समास: जालेन अर्करश्मिभिः अवगतः (तृतीया-बहुवचन-सम्बन्ध/तत्पुरुष; multi-member)
खम्the sky/space
खम्:
कर्म (द्वितीया/Object of ‘अगात्’)
TypeNoun
Rootख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
एवindeed
एव:
सम्बन्ध (निपात/Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle) ‘indeed/just’
अनुपतन्falling along/descending
अनुपतन्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial participle to ‘अगात्’)
TypeAdjective
Rootअनुपतत् (कृदन्त, √पत् धातु with अनु-)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) from √पत् ‘to fall’ with अनु- ‘following’
अगात्went/moved
अगात्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (धातु)
Formलुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

The atom is described as an invisible particle, but when six such atoms combine together, they are called a trasareṇu, and this is visible in the sunshine pouring through the holes of a window screen.

Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
M
Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

In 3.11.5, Śukadeva describes subtle material measurement, stating that two aṇus make a paramāṇu, and he illustrates the tiniest visible particle as the speck seen moving within a sunbeam through a lattice.

Śukadeva uses a familiar visual example—tiny particles seen in sunlight—to help Parīkṣit grasp extremely subtle units of matter that form the basis for later calculations of time and cosmic measurement.

It trains the mind to observe how vast realities are built from minute components, encouraging humility and contemplation of the Lord’s precise order governing both the smallest and the greatest.