योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-21, verse-1

श्रीराम उवाच ।
मांसपाञ्चालिकायास्तु यन्त्रलोलेऽङ्गपञ्जरे ।
स्नाय्वस्थिग्रन्थिशालिन्याः स्त्रियाः किमिव शोभनं ॥ १ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
māṃsapāñcālikāyāstu yantralole'ṅgapañjare ,
snāyvasthigranthiśālinyāḥ striyāḥ kimiva śobhanaṃ 1

1. śrīrāma uvāca māṃsapāñcālikāyāḥ tu yantralole aṅgapañjare
snāyvasthigranthiśālinyāḥ striyāḥ kim iva śobhanam

1. śrīrāma uvāca tu māṃsapāñcālikāyāḥ yantralole aṅgapañjare
snāyvasthigranthiśālinyāḥ striyāḥ kim iva śobhanam

1. Shri Rama said: What, indeed, is beautiful in a woman who is but a puppet made of flesh, whose cage of limbs is as unsteady as a machine, and who is endowed with tendons, bones, and joints?

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - The exalted Rama, the speaker of these verses. (Shri Rama)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• मांसपाञ्चालिकायाः (māṁsapāñcālikāyāḥ) - of a flesh-puppet, of a doll made of meat

• तु (tu) - Emphasizes the preceding word or introduces a contrast/qualification. (indeed, but, however, on the other hand)

• यन्त्रलोले (yantralole) - fickle like a machine, unsteady like a mechanism

• अङ्गपञ्जरे (aṅgapañjare) - Referring to the human body as a cage of physical parts. (in a cage of limbs)

• स्नाय्वस्थिग्रन्थिशालिन्याः (snāyvasthigranthiśālinyāḥ) - Describes the physical composition of the woman. (of one adorned with tendons, bones, and knots (joints))

• स्त्रियाः (striyāḥ) - of a woman

• किम् (kim) - Rhetorical question implying 'nothing'. (what? what indeed?)

• इव (iva) - Used for comparison or emphasis, here rhetorical emphasis. (like, as, as it were, indeed, truly)

• शोभनम् (śobhanam) - What is beautiful? (Rhetorical, implies nothing) (beautiful, lovely, auspicious, good)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - The exalted Rama, the speaker of these verses. (Shri Rama)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Lord Rama, Rama

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Irregular perfect form of √vac. Reduplication, guṇa, and vṛddhi changes.

Root: vac (class 2)

मांसपाञ्चालिकायाः (māṁsapāñcālikāyāḥ) - of a flesh-puppet, of a doll made of meat

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, singular of māṃsapāñcālikā

māṁsapāñcālikā - flesh-puppet, doll of flesh

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (māṃsa+pāñcālikā)

• māṃsa – flesh, meat
  noun (neuter)
• pāñcālikā – doll, puppet
  noun (feminine)

तु (tu) - Emphasizes the preceding word or introduces a contrast/qualification. (indeed, but, however, on the other hand)

(indeclinable)

यन्त्रलोले (yantralole) - fickle like a machine, unsteady like a mechanism

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of yantralola

yantralola - unsteady like a machine

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (yantra+lola)

• yantra – machine, mechanism, instrument
  noun (neuter)
• lola – fickle, unsteady, tremulous
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from √lul 'to shake, tremble'.
  Root: lul (class 1)

Note: Declined for neuter locative singular, agreeing with aṅgapañjare.

अङ्गपञ्जरे (aṅgapañjare) - Referring to the human body as a cage of physical parts. (in a cage of limbs)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of aṅgapañjara

aṅgapañjara - cage of limbs, body

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (aṅga+pañjara)

• aṅga – limb, body part
  noun (neuter)
• pañjara – cage, skeleton
  noun (neuter)

स्नाय्वस्थिग्रन्थिशालिन्याः (snāyvasthigranthiśālinyāḥ) - Describes the physical composition of the woman. (of one adorned with tendons, bones, and knots (joints))

(adjective)

Genitive, feminine, singular of snāyvasthigranthiśālinī

snāyvasthigranthiśālinī - having tendons, bones, and joints

Feminine form of snāyvasthigranthiśālin, derived with -inī suffix.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (snāyu+asthi+granthi+śālin)

• snāyu – tendon, sinew
  noun (masculine)
• asthi – bone
  noun (neuter)
• granthi – knot, joint, gland
  noun (masculine)
• śālin – possessing, endowed with, adorned with
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix -in denoting possession.

Note: Agrees with striyāḥ.

स्त्रियाः (striyāḥ) - of a woman

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, singular of strī

strī - woman, female

Note: Can also be dative/ablative singular for strī (feminine i-stem). Here, genitive is most fitting with kim iva śobhanam.

किम् (kim) - Rhetorical question implying 'nothing'. (what? what indeed?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what? which? why?

Note: Often used with iva to form rhetorical questions.

इव (iva) - Used for comparison or emphasis, here rhetorical emphasis. (like, as, as it were, indeed, truly)

(indeclinable)

शोभनम् (śobhanam) - What is beautiful? (Rhetorical, implies nothing) (beautiful, lovely, auspicious, good)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śobhana

śobhana - beautiful, brilliant, good, auspicious

Present Participle (Active)

Derived from √śubh (to shine, be beautiful) with suffix -ana.

Root: śubh (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicate adjective, agreeing with the implied 'that which is beautiful' (neuter nominative).