योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-18, verse-49

मज्जन्कर्दमकोशेषु झटित्येव जरां गतः ।
न ज्ञायते यात्यचिरात्कः कथं देहदर्दुरः ॥ ४९ ॥

majjankardamakośeṣu jhaṭityeva jarāṃ gataḥ ,
na jñāyate yātyacirātkaḥ kathaṃ dehadarduraḥ 49

49. majjan kardamakoṣeṣu jhaṭiti eva jarām gataḥ
na jñāyate yāti acirāt kaḥ kathaṃ dehadarduraḥ

49. This body, likened to a frog sinking into the mire of existence, swiftly reaches decay (jarā). It is not known who departs, or how this body-frog passes away so quickly.

Words meanings summery:

• मज्जन् (majjan) - sinking (into the mire) (sinking, immersing, drowning)

• कर्दमकोषेषु (kardamakoṣeṣu) - into the mire of existence (in the mud-pockets, in the mire-sheaths)

• झटिति (jhaṭiti) - swiftly (quickly, instantly, swiftly)

• एव (eva) - indeed, just (indeed, only, just, certainly)

• जराम् (jarām) - decay (jarā) (old age, decay, decrepitude)

• गतः (gataḥ) - reached, attained (decay) (gone, reached, attained)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• ज्ञायते (jñāyate) - is known (is known, is understood)

• याति (yāti) - departs (goes, departs, proceeds)

• अचिरात् (acirāt) - so quickly, in a short time (quickly, soon, not long after, in a short time)

• कः (kaḥ) - who (the individual soul/person) (who, which, what)

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner, why)

• देहदर्दुरः (dehadarduraḥ) - this body, likened to a frog (body-frog, frog of the body)

Words meanings and morphology

मज्जन् (majjan) - sinking (into the mire) (sinking, immersing, drowning)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of majjat

majjat - sinking, immersing, drowning

Present Active Participle

Derived from root 'majj' (to sink) + śatṛ suffix. Masculine singular nominative form.

Root: majj (class 6)

Note: It qualifies 'dehadarduraḥ'.

कर्दमकोषेषु (kardamakoṣeṣu) - into the mire of existence (in the mud-pockets, in the mire-sheaths)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of kardamakośa

kardamakośa - mud-pocket, sheath of mud, mire-container

Compound word.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kardama+kośa)

• kardama – mud, mire, dirt
  noun (masculine)
• kośa – sheath, case, covering, pocket, treasury, container
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to the conditions or environment in which the body-frog finds itself.

झटिति (jhaṭiti) - swiftly (quickly, instantly, swiftly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies 'gataḥ'.

एव (eva) - indeed, just (indeed, only, just, certainly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the swiftness.

जराम् (jarām) - decay (jarā) (old age, decay, decrepitude)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of jarā

jarā - old age, decay, decrepitude

Root: jṝ (class 9)

Note: Object of 'gataḥ'.

गतः (gataḥ) - reached, attained (decay) (gone, reached, attained)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of gata

gata - gone, moved, reached, attained

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'gam' (to go) + kta suffix.

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Used adjectivally with `dehadarduraḥ`.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'jñāyate'.

ज्ञायते (jñāyate) - is known (is known, is understood)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of jñā

Present Passive

Derived from root 'jñā' (to know) + ya (passive suffix) + te (middle ending).

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: The subject of the passive verb is implicitly the departure of the body-frog.

याति (yāti) - departs (goes, departs, proceeds)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of yā

Present Active

Derived from root 'yā' (to go) + ti (active ending).

Root: yā (class 2)

अचिरात् (acirāt) - so quickly, in a short time (quickly, soon, not long after, in a short time)

(indeclinable)

Ablative of 'acira' (not long). Used adverbially.

Note: Adverbial usage.

कः (kaḥ) - who (the individual soul/person) (who, which, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, which, what, why

Masculine nominative singular of 'kim'.

Note: Subject of 'yāti'.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Adverb.

Note: Modifies 'yāti'.

देहदर्दुरः (dehadarduraḥ) - this body, likened to a frog (body-frog, frog of the body)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dehadardura

dehadardura - body-frog, frog of the body

Compound word.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (deha+dardura)

• deha – body, corporeal form
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dih (class 2)
• dardura – frog
  noun (masculine)

Note: The main subject of the first clause.