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).

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).