योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-1, verse-7

अगस्तिरुवाच ।
उभाभ्यामेव पक्षाभ्यां यथा खे पक्षिणां गतिः ।
तथैव ज्ञानकर्मभ्यां जायते परमं पदम् ॥ ७ ॥

agastiruvāca ,
ubhābhyāmeva pakṣābhyāṃ yathā khe pakṣiṇāṃ gatiḥ ,
tathaiva jñānakarmabhyāṃ jāyate paramaṃ padam 7

7. agastiḥ uvāca ubhābhyām eva pakṣābhyām yathā khe pakṣiṇām
gatiḥ tathā eva jñāna-karmabhyām jāyate paramam padam

7. Agastya said: Just as birds move through the sky with both wings, similarly, the supreme state (paramam padam) is attained through both knowledge and action (karma).

Words meanings summery:

• अगस्तिः (agastiḥ) - The sage Agastya (Agastya)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• उभाभ्याम् (ubhābhyām) - by both, with both

• एव (eva) - emphasizes 'both' (indeed, only, just)

• पक्षाभ्याम् (pakṣābhyām) - with two wings

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

• खे (khe) - in the sky, in space

• पक्षिणाम् (pakṣiṇām) - of birds

• गतिः (gatiḥ) - movement, course, path, state

• तथा (tathā) - similarly, so, thus

• एव (eva) - indeed, just

• ज्ञान-कर्मभ्याम् (jñāna-karmabhyām) - by knowledge and action (karma) combined (by knowledge and action)

• जायते (jāyate) - is attained (is born, arises, is produced)

• परमम् (paramam) - supreme, highest, ultimate

• पदम् (padam) - the supreme state (paramam padam) (state, abode, goal, step)

Words meanings and morphology

अगस्तिः (agastiḥ) - The sage Agastya (Agastya)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of agasti

agasti - Agastya (name of a celebrated sage)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect tense

from √vac, reduplicated perfect

Root: vac (class 2)

उभाभ्याम् (ubhābhyām) - by both, with both

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, dual of ubhaya

ubhaya - both

Note: Can be instrumental, dative or ablative dual. Here instrumental modifying 'pakṣābhyām'.

एव (eva) - emphasizes 'both' (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

पक्षाभ्याम् (pakṣābhyām) - with two wings

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, dual of pakṣa

pakṣa - wing, side, party, half (of a lunar month)

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a simile.

खे (khe) - in the sky, in space

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of kha

kha - sky, atmosphere, space, ether, zero

पक्षिणाम् (pakṣiṇām) - of birds

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of pakṣin

pakṣin - bird, winged creature

from pakṣa 'wing'

गतिः (gatiḥ) - movement, course, path, state

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of gati

gati - going, movement, path, course, destiny, state

from √gam 'to go'

Root: gam (class 1)

तथा (tathā) - similarly, so, thus

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlates with 'yathā'.

एव (eva) - indeed, just

(indeclinable)

ज्ञान-कर्मभ्याम् (jñāna-karmabhyām) - by knowledge and action (karma) combined (by knowledge and action)

(compound noun)

Compound type : dvandva (jñāna+karma)

• jñāna – knowledge, wisdom
  noun (neuter)
  Root: jñā (class 9)
• karma – action, deed
  noun (neuter)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Dual instrumental of a dvandva compound.

जायते (jāyate) - is attained (is born, arises, is produced)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of jan

Present tense, Middle voice

from √jan 'to be born'

Root: jan (class 4)

परमम् (paramam) - supreme, highest, ultimate

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of parama

parama - supreme, highest, utmost, best

Note: Qualifies padam.

पदम् (padam) - the supreme state (paramam padam) (state, abode, goal, step)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pada

pada - foot, step, mark, station, abode, state, goal

Note: Subject of 'jāyate'.