योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-28, verse-37

बाल्यमल्पदिनैरेव यौवनश्रीस्ततो जरा ।
देहेऽपि नैकरूपत्वं कास्था बाह्येषु वस्तुषु ॥ ३७ ॥

bālyamalpadinaireva yauvanaśrīstato jarā ,
dehe'pi naikarūpatvaṃ kāsthā bāhyeṣu vastuṣu 37

37. bālyam alpa-dinaiḥ eva yauvana-śrīḥ tataḥ jarā
dehe api na eka-rūpatvam kā āsthā bāhyeṣu vastuṣu

37. bālyam alpa-dinaiḥ eva (bhavati); tataḥ yauvana-śrīḥ (bhavati); tataḥ jarā (bhavati).
dehe api na eka-rūpatvam (asti).
(ataḥ) bāhyeṣu vastuṣu kā āsthā (syāt)?

37. Childhood lasts only a few days, followed by the glory of youth, and then old age. Even the body does not maintain a single form. What attachment (āsthā) can there be to external objects?

Words meanings summery:

• बाल्यम् (bālyam) - childhood, state of being a child

• अल्प-दिनैः (alpa-dinaiḥ) - by a few days, in a short time

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

• यौवन-श्रीः (yauvana-śrīḥ) - the glory/beauty of youth

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter, from that

• जरा (jarā) - old age, decay, decrepitude

• देहे (dehe) - in the body, on the body

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• न (na) - not, no

• एक-रूपत्वम् (eka-rūpatvam) - state of being of one form, uniformity, sameness

• का (kā) - what (feminine nominative singular)

• आस्था (āsthā) - trust, reliance, attachment, firmness, application

• बाह्येषु (bāhyeṣu) - in external, outer

• वस्तुषु (vastuṣu) - in things, in objects, in substances

Words meanings and morphology

बाल्यम् (bālyam) - childhood, state of being a child

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bālya

bālya - childhood, infancy; childishness

Derived from bālā (child) + ya (taddhita suffix for state/quality)

अल्प-दिनैः (alpa-dinaiḥ) - by a few days, in a short time

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of alpa-dina

alpa-dina - few days, short period

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (alpa+dina)

• alpa – small, little, few
  adjective
• dina – day
  noun (neuter)

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

(indeclinable)

यौवन-श्रीः (yauvana-śrīḥ) - the glory/beauty of youth

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yauvana-śrī

yauvana-śrī - the glory of youth, beauty of youth

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (yauvana+śrī)

• yauvana – youth, youthfulness
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from yuvan (young) + aṇa (taddhita suffix)
• śrī – glory, splendor, beauty, prosperity
  noun (feminine)

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter, from that

(indeclinable)

जरा (jarā) - old age, decay, decrepitude

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of jarā

jarā - old age, decrepitude, decay

Root: jṛ (class 1)

देहे (dehe) - in the body, on the body

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of deha

deha - body, corporeal frame

Root: dih (class 4)

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

एक-रूपत्वम् (eka-rūpatvam) - state of being of one form, uniformity, sameness

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of eka-rūpatva

eka-rūpatva - sameness of form, uniformity, homogeneity

Derived from eka-rūpa (one form) + tva (taddhita suffix for state/quality)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (eka+rūpa)

• eka – one, single, uniform
  numeral
• rūpa – form, shape, nature, beauty
  noun (neuter)

Note: This is part of naikarūpatvam - na ekarūpatvam meaning 'not uniformity', hence 'changeability' or 'diversity'.

का (kā) - what (feminine nominative singular)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

आस्था (āsthā) - trust, reliance, attachment, firmness, application

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of āsthā

āsthā - reliance, trust, attachment, firmness, care, application

Root sthā + prefix ā

Prefix: ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

बाह्येषु (bāhyeṣu) - in external, outer

(adjective)

Locative, plural of bāhya

bāhya - external, outer, foreign

Derived from bahis (outside) + ya (taddhita suffix)

Note: Agrees with vastuṣu

वस्तुषु (vastuṣu) - in things, in objects, in substances

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of vastu

vastu - thing, object, substance, reality

Root: vas (class 2)

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