जातु

{ jātu }

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

जातु  n.  ind. (√ जन्? cf. जनु॑षा, s.v. °नु॑स्) at all, ever, [RV. x, 27, 11]; [ŚBr. ii, 2, 2, 20] ( तु॑), [MBh. v, 7071]; [Pañcat. i, 1, 6] ( किं तेनजातेन, what is the use at all of him born?)
जातु   ([when stands at the beginning of a sentence the verb which follows retains its accent, [Pāṇ. 8-1, 47]; in connection with the Pot. and ना-वकल्पयामि &c. ( iii, 3, 147) or with the pr. ( iii, 3, 142) जातु expresses censure e.g. जातु वृषलं याजयेन् न मर्षयामि ‘I suffer not that he should cause an outcast to sacrifice’ [Kāś.]; जातु याजयति वृषलम् ‘ought he to cause an outcast to sacrifice?’ ib.])
अपि   possibly, perhaps, [MBh. xii, 6739] (with preceding), [Kathās.] (also with चिद् following)
चिद्   some day, once, once upon a time, [Kathās.]; [Rājat.] (also with following). नजा॑तु, not at all, by no means, never, [ŚBr. xiv]; [Mn.]; [MBh.] &c. (also with following).

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

जातु [jātu]   ind. A particle meaning:
At all, ever, at any time, possibly; नान्तरज्ञाः श्रियो जातुः प्रियैरासां न भूयते [Ki.11.24;] किं तेन जातु जातेन मातुर्यौवनहारिणा [Pt.1.26;] न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति [Ms.2.94;] [Ku.5.55.]
Perhaps, sometimes; गौरवाद्यदपि जातु मन्त्रिणां दर्शनं ... ददौ [R.19.7.]
Once, once upon a time, sometime, at some day.
Used with the potential mood जातु has the sense of 'not allowing or putting up with'; जातु तत्रभवान् वृषलं याजयेन्नावकल्पयामि (न मर्षयामि) [Sk.]
Used with a present indicative it denotes censure (गर्हा); जातु तत्रभवान् वृषलं याजयति ibid.

Shabda-Sagara

जातु   ind.
1. Sometimes, occasionally.
2. A particle of prohibition. 3. Of doubt,
4. Of contempt or abuse.
E. जै to waste or decay, क्तुन् aff. जै क्षये जन वा क्तुन् .

ROOTS:

जै क्तुन् जै क्षये जन वा क्तुन् .