योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-18, verse-59

कायोऽयमचिरापायो बुद्बुदोऽम्बुनिधाविव ।
व्यर्थं कार्यपरावर्ते परिस्फुरति निष्फलः ॥ ५९ ॥

kāyo'yamacirāpāyo budbudo'mbunidhāviva ,
vyarthaṃ kāryaparāvarte parisphurati niṣphalaḥ 59

59. kāyaḥ ayam acira-apāyaḥ budbudaḥ ambunidhau iva
vyartham kārya-parāvarte parisphurati niṣphalaḥ

59. This body (kāya) is destined for swift decay, like a bubble in the ocean. It fruitlessly and vainly struggles in the cycle of actions (karma).

59. הגוף הזה, שסופו לבוא במהירות כבועת מים על פני האוקיינוס, מרפרף לחינם וללא תועלת במערבולת המעשים.

Words meanings summery:

• कायः (kāyaḥ) - this physical body (body, physical form)

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

• अचिर-अपायः (acira-apāyaḥ) - destined for swift decay (of swift destruction, quickly perishing)

• बुद्बुदः (budbudaḥ) - a bubble (bubble, foam)

• अम्बुनिधौ (ambunidhau) - in the ocean (in the ocean, in the sea, in a reservoir of water)

• इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as if)

• व्यर्थम् (vyartham) - uselessly, in vain (uselessly, in vain, without purpose)

• कार्य-परावर्ते (kārya-parāvarte) - in the cycle of actions (karma) (in the cycle of actions, in the turn of deeds)

• परिस्फुरति (parisphurati) - struggles for existence, exists in a struggling manner (flickers, trembles, quivers, struggles, exists)

• निष्फलः (niṣphalaḥ) - fruitlessly, uselessly (as predicate adjective) (fruitless, useless, unproductive)

Words meanings and morphology

कायः (kāyaḥ) - this physical body (body, physical form)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kāya

kāya - body, mass, collection

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'to be'.

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

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Agrees with `kāyaḥ`.

अचिर-अपायः (acira-apāyaḥ) - destined for swift decay (of swift destruction, quickly perishing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of acira-apāya

acira-apāya - swiftly passing away, quickly perishing, of short duration

Compound type : bahuvrihi (acira+apāya)

• acira – not long, swift, short
  adjective (masculine)
  Compound of `a` (not) and `cira` (long time)
  Prefix: a
• apāya – going away, departure, decay, destruction, loss
  noun (masculine)
  From `apa` + `i` (to go)
  Prefix: apa
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Predicative adjective for `kāyaḥ`.

बुद्बुदः (budbudaḥ) - a bubble (bubble, foam)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of budbuda

budbuda - bubble, foam

Note: Part of the simile.

अम्बुनिधौ (ambunidhau) - in the ocean (in the ocean, in the sea, in a reservoir of water)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of ambunidhi

ambunidhi - ocean, sea, reservoir of water

Compound type : tatpurusha (ambu+nidhi)

• ambu – water
  noun (neuter)
• nidhi – store, receptacle, treasury, ocean
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Location for the bubble.

इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle indicating comparison.

व्यर्थम् (vyartham) - uselessly, in vain (uselessly, in vain, without purpose)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vyartha

vyartha - useless, vain, purposeless

Compound of `vi` + `artha`

Compound type : bahuvrihi (vi+artha)

• vi – apart, asunder, away
  indeclinable
  Prefix
• artha – purpose, meaning, wealth, object
  noun (masculine)
  Root: arth (class 10)

Note: Functions adverbially here, modifying `parisphurati`.

कार्य-परावर्ते (kārya-parāvarte) - in the cycle of actions (karma) (in the cycle of actions, in the turn of deeds)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kārya-parāvarta

kārya-parāvarta - cycle of actions, rotation of deeds, cycle of cause and effect

Compound type : tatpurusha (kārya+parāvarta)

• kārya – to be done, duty, action, deed, effect
  noun (neuter)
  Gerundive/Future Passive Participle
  From root `kṛ` (to do) with suffix `ya`
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• parāvarta – turning back, return, revolution, cycle
  noun (masculine)
  From `parā` + `vṛt` (to turn)
  Prefix: parā
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: The domain in which the body struggles.

परिस्फुरति (parisphurati) - struggles for existence, exists in a struggling manner (flickers, trembles, quivers, struggles, exists)

(verb)

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

Prefix: pari

Root: sphur (class 6)

निष्फलः (niṣphalaḥ) - fruitlessly, uselessly (as predicate adjective) (fruitless, useless, unproductive)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niṣphala

niṣphala - fruitless, useless, unproductive, ineffectual

Compound of `nis` + `phala`

Compound type : bahuvrihi (nis+phala)

• nis – out, forth, away, without
  indeclinable
  Prefix/Preposition
• phala – fruit, result, consequence, reward
  noun (neuter)

Note: Predicate adjective for the implied subject of `parisphurati` (the body).

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