Devanagari
स काल: परमाणुर्वै यो भुङ्क्ते परमाणुताम् ।
सतोऽविशेषभुग्यस्तु स काल: परमो महान् ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
sa kālaḥ paramāṇur vai
yo bhuṅkte paramāṇutām
sato ’viśeṣa-bhug yas tu
sa kālaḥ paramo mahān
Synonyms
saḥ
—
that
;
kālaḥ
—
eternal time
;
parama
—
aṇuḥ — atomic
;
vai
—
certainly
;
yaḥ
—
which
;
bhuṅkte
—
passes through
;
parama
—
aṇutām — the space of an atom
;
sataḥ
—
of the entire aggregate
;
aviśeṣa
—
bhuk — passing through the nondual exhibition
;
yaḥ tu
—
which
;
saḥ
—
that
;
kālaḥ
—
time
;
paramaḥ
—
the supreme
;
mahān
—
the great .
Translation
Atomic time is measured according to its covering a particular atomic space. That time which covers the unmanifest aggregate of atoms is called the great time.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The time expended for the sun to go distance of one paramāṇu is called a paramāṇu of time and the time expended from one dissolution to the next is called parama-mahān time.
This verse explains the phrase “by pervading the smallest and largest elements (saṁsthāna-bhuktyā).” That time which elapses for the sun to pass over the form of the paramāṇu (paramāṇutām) is called the paramāṇu time. As will be understood from the explanation in relation to the planets and constellations in verse 13, whatever time it takes the sun to cross over a paramāṇu is called a paramāṇu of time, or the smallest division of time. That time which pervades the whole material realm without distinction (aviśeṣa-bhuk)--time in the form of the sun, by expenditure of years and yugas, starting with the creation and ending with dissolution of the universes--is called parama-mahān time. Since there is an equivalent name given to the divisions of time and the material particles of paramāṇu, anu and trasareṇu, there are also equivalent name given to the time and the material substance called parama-mahān. However there is difference in the terminologies and sizes of time and objects between these extremes.
Purport
Time and space are two correlative terms. Time is measured in terms of its covering a certain space of atoms. Standard time is calculated in terms of the movement of the sun. The time covered by the sun in passing over an atom is calculated as atomic time. The greatest time of all covers the entire existence of the nondual manifestation. All the planets rotate and cover space, and space is calculated in terms of atoms. Each planet has its particular orbit for rotating, in which it moves without deviation, and similarly the sun has its orbit. The complete calculation of the time of creation, maintenance and dissolution, measured in terms of the circulation of the total planetary systems until the end of creation, is known as the supreme
kāla.