Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: The origin and source of everything that arises from Time (Kala).
Elaboration
The name Sarva Kal'od-bhav'od-bhava is a profound compound that points to Mahakali as the source behind all that emerges within Kala, or Time. "Sarva" means "all" or "everything," "Kāla" means "Time," and "ud-bhava" means "arising" or "origin." Taken together, the name means "the origin and source of everything that arises from Time."
The Primordial Ground of Existence This name reveals Mahakali as the primordial ground from which all manifestation in the temporal realm appears. Every event, every form, and every being that comes into existence, abides for a while, and passes away within time ultimately arises from her. She does not merely exist within time; time itself, along with all that unfolds in it, springs from her.
Master of Temporal Cycles As the source of everything born of Time, she is also the power behind the cycles of creation, sustenance, and dissolution (Pralaya). She is the cosmic womb from which countless universes are born and the final power into which they return. This name emphasizes her sovereignty over the great cosmic rhythm of becoming and unbecoming, all governed by her will.
Transcendence and Immanence Though she is the source of all temporal existence and its products, she is never confined by them. She is the unborn, unchanging reality beneath the ever-shifting phenomenal world. For the devotee, to realize her as Sarva Kal'od-bhav'od-bhava is to recognize her presence in every passing moment, every arising being, and every breath, while also knowing her as the eternal truth beyond all temporal limitation. She is at once the silent, changeless witness and the dynamic creative power.