योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-18, verse-58

दिनैः कतिपयैरेव निर्झराम्बुकणो यथा ।
पतत्ययमयत्नेन जरठः कायपल्लवः ॥ ५८ ॥

dinaiḥ katipayaireva nirjharāmbukaṇo yathā ,
patatyayamayatnena jaraṭhaḥ kāyapallavaḥ 58

58. dinaiḥ katipayaiḥ eva nirjhara-ambu-kaṇaḥ yathā
patati ayam ayatnena jaraṭhaḥ kāya-pallavaḥ

58. Just as a single drop of waterfall water (nirjhara-ambukaṇa) falls away in merely a few days, so this aging, fragile body (kāya-pallava) perishes effortlessly.

Words meanings summery:

• दिनैः (dinaiḥ) - in a matter of days (by days)

• कतिपयैः (katipayaiḥ) - by a few (days) (by a few)

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

• निर्झर-अम्बु-कणः (nirjhara-ambu-kaṇaḥ) - a single drop of waterfall water (a drop of waterfall water)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, like)

• पतति (patati) - falls away, perishes (falls, drops, perishes, decays)

• अयम् (ayam) - this (body) (this, this one)

• अयत्नेन (ayatnena) - effortslessly (without effort, effortlessly)

• जरठः (jaraṭhaḥ) - aging, decaying (old, aged, decrepit, decaying)

• काय-पल्लवः (kāya-pallavaḥ) - fragile body (metaphorically like a leaf or sprout) (body-sprout, tender body, fragile body)

Words meanings and morphology

दिनैः (dinaiḥ) - in a matter of days (by days)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of dina

dina - day

Note: Indicates the duration or means.

कतिपयैः (katipayaiḥ) - by a few (days) (by a few)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of katipaya

katipaya - some, several, a few

Note: Agrees with `dinaiḥ`.

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

(indeclinable)

निर्झर-अम्बु-कणः (nirjhara-ambu-kaṇaḥ) - a single drop of waterfall water (a drop of waterfall water)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirjhara-ambu-kaṇa

nirjhara-ambu-kaṇa - a drop of waterfall water

Compound type : tatpurusha (nirjhara+ambu+kaṇa)

• nirjhara – waterfall, cascade, mountain stream
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: nir
  Root: jhṛ (class 1)
• ambu – water
  noun (neuter)
• kaṇa – drop, particle, grain
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of `patati`.

यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, like)

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a simile.

पतति (patati) - falls away, perishes (falls, drops, perishes, decays)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of pat

Root: pat (class 1)

अयम् (ayam) - this (body) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Refers to `kāya-pallavaḥ`.

अयत्नेन (ayatnena) - effortslessly (without effort, effortlessly)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ayatna

ayatna - without effort, effortlessly, ease

Compound type : nañ-tatpurusha (a+yatna)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• yatna – effort, exertion, attempt
  noun (masculine)
  Root: yat (class 1)

Note: Qualifies the action of falling (`patati`).

जरठः (jaraṭhaḥ) - aging, decaying (old, aged, decrepit, decaying)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jaraṭha

jaraṭha - old, aged, decrepit, decaying

Root: jṝ (class 4)

Note: Agrees with `kāya-pallavaḥ`.

काय-पल्लवः (kāya-pallavaḥ) - fragile body (metaphorically like a leaf or sprout) (body-sprout, tender body, fragile body)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kāya-pallava

kāya-pallava - body-sprout, tender body, fragile body (like a new leaf)

Compound type : tatpurusha (kāya+pallava)

• kāya – body, mass, collection
  noun (masculine)
• pallava – sprout, young leaf, shoot, twig
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of `patati`.