Upanishads · Mahā 5.123
॥
Devanāgarī
तदैवैनामनुगता नामसंख्यादिका दृशः विकल्पकलिताकारं देशकालक्रियास्पदम्
Transliteration (IAST)
tadaivaināmanugatā nāmasaṃkhyādikā dṛśaḥ vikalpakalitākāraṃ deśakālakriyāspadam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तदा एनाम् अनुगताःtadā enām anugatāḥthen, following after her; thereupon, coming in her train
नाम-सङ्ख्या-आदिकाः दृशःnāma-saṅkhyā-ādikāḥ dṛśaḥthe notions — name, number and the rest; the views — designation, count and the like
विकल्प-कलित-आकारम्vikalpa-kalita-ākārama form cut out by differentiation; a shape tailored by division
देश-काल-क्रिया-आस्पदम्deśa-kāla-kriyā-āspadamthe seat of place, time and action; the dwelling of space, time and deed
Translation
“…then in her train follow the notions — name, number and the rest; a form cut out by differentiation, the seat of place, time and action.”
Version
ac512af758b4 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
After the form come name and number.
Note the order. First the form, then nāma and saṅkhyā — “name” and “count”.
This is rightly observed: while a thing is not bounded, it can be neither named nor counted. A name presupposes an edge.
Vikalpa-kalita-ākāra — “a form cut out by differentiation”. Both words, vikalpa and kalanā, have been examined already (2.34, 2.53).
And now — deśa-kāla-kriyā-āspada, “the seat of place, time and action”. The very three frames that in the previous verse had no power over the Goddess.
They appear here, together with the form.
That is, time and space are not given beforehand; they arise together with what is placed in them.