योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-30, verse-17

संसार एव निवहे जनो व्यवहरन्नपि ।
न बन्धं कथमाप्नोति पद्मपत्रे पयो यथा ॥ १७ ॥

saṃsāra eva nivahe jano vyavaharannapi ,
na bandhaṃ kathamāpnoti padmapatre payo yathā 17

17. saṃsāre eva nivahe janaḥ vyavaharan api na
bandham katham āpnoti padmapatre payaḥ yathā

17. janaḥ saṃsāre eva nivahe vyavaharan api bandham na katham āpnoti,
yathā padmapatre payaḥ

17. How is it that a person, even while fully engaged in the ongoing flow of worldly existence (saṃsāra), does not incur bondage, just as water does not adhere to a lotus leaf?

Words meanings summery:

• संसारे (saṁsāre) - in the cycle of transmigration, in worldly existence (saṃsāra)

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

• निवहे (nivahe) - in the ongoing flow (of worldly existence) (in the current, in the stream, in the mass/multitude)

• जनः (janaḥ) - a person, man, people

• व्यवहरन् (vyavaharan) - acting, dealing, engaging, transacting

• अपि (api) - even, also, though, in spite of

• न (na) - not, no

• बन्धम् (bandham) - bondage, tie, fetter

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• आप्नोति (āpnoti) - he/she/it attains, obtains, reaches

• पद्मपत्रे (padmapatre) - on a lotus leaf

• पयः (payaḥ) - water, milk

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

Words meanings and morphology

संसारे (saṁsāre) - in the cycle of transmigration, in worldly existence (saṃsāra)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃsāra

saṁsāra - transmigration, cycle of birth and death, worldly existence

From sam-√sṛ (to wander through).

Prefix: sam

Root: √sṛ (class 1)

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

(indeclinable)

निवहे (nivahe) - in the ongoing flow (of worldly existence) (in the current, in the stream, in the mass/multitude)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of nivaha

nivaha - stream, current, flow, multitude, heap, collection

From ni-√vah (to carry, to flow).

Prefix: ni

Root: √vah (class 1)

जनः (janaḥ) - a person, man, people

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jana

jana - a person, man, creature, people

From √jan (to be born).

Root: √jan (class 4)

व्यवहरन् (vyavaharan) - acting, dealing, engaging, transacting

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyavaharat

vyavaharat - acting, engaging in, dealing with

Present Active Participle

From vi-ava-√hṛ (to deal, to act).

Prefixes: vi+ava

Root: √hṛ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with janaḥ.

अपि (api) - even, also, though, in spite of

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

बन्धम् (bandham) - bondage, tie, fetter

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of bandha

bandha - bondage, tie, fetter, attachment

From √bandh (to bind).

Root: √bandh (class 9)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

आप्नोति (āpnoti) - he/she/it attains, obtains, reaches

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of āp

From root √āp (class 5).

Root: √āp (class 5)

पद्मपत्रे (padmapatre) - on a lotus leaf

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of padmapatra

padmapatra - lotus leaf

Compound type : tatpurusha (padma+patra)

• padma – lotus
  noun (neuter)
• patra – leaf, feather, wing
  noun (neuter)

पयः (payaḥ) - water, milk

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of payas

payas - water, milk, fluid

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

(indeclinable)