“Uktaṁ” in Sanskrit generally means “said,” “spoken,”
or “declared,” and is the neuter singular form of the
past participle of the verb ‘√vac’ (to speak).
Grammatical Explanation
Root Verb: √vac (to speak, to say)
Participle Form: uktaṁ is the past passive participle (PPP),
neuter singular form.
Function in a sentence: It is often used to indicate something
that has been spoken or declared, similar to the English phrase
“it was said” or “thus spoken.”
Declensions:
Masculine: uktaḥ
Feminine: uktā
Neuter: uktaṁ
Usage in Literature
In classical Sanskrit texts, uktaṁ frequently appears to introduce
statements or quotations attributed to a speaker, deity, or sage.
For example, in the Śrīmad Bhagavatam Canto 10, the phrase
appears as:
uktaṁ purastād etat te caidyaḥ siddhiṁ yathā gataḥ
Common Contexts
In epic and Purāṇic literature to mark narration of divine dialogue.
In grammatical texts to indicate reported or acknowledged speech.
Often occurs in compound phrases like iti uktaṁ (“thus it was
said”) in scripture and scholastic commentary.
Summary
Word: uktaṁ (उक्तं)
Meaning: said, spoken, declared
Part of Speech: past participle (neuter singular) from √vac
This understanding helps when reading classical works like the
Bhagavad-gītā, Mahābhārata, or Purāṇas, where uktaṁ frequently
introduces spoken wisdom or narratives.
