योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-2, chapter-17, verse-23

स्वप्ने वा व्योम्नि वा चित्रमकर्तृ चिरभासुरम् ।
अवह्निरेव वह्नित्वं धत्ते चित्रानलो यथा ॥ २३ ॥

svapne vā vyomni vā citramakartṛ cirabhāsuram ,
avahnireva vahnitvaṃ dhatte citrānalo yathā 23

23. svapne vā vyomni vā citram akartṛ cirabhāsuram
avahniḥ eva vahnitvam dhatte citra analaḥ yathā

23. yathā akartṛ cirabhāsuram citram svapne vā vyomni
vā avahniḥ eva citra analaḥ vahnitvam dhatte

23. Just as a picture or wondrous sight, without any creator and ever-radiant, appears either in a dream or in the sky; similarly, a painted fire assumes the quality of fire even though it is not actually fire.

Words meanings summery:

• स्वप्ने (svapne) - in a dream

• वा (vā) - or

• व्योम्नि (vyomni) - in the sky, in space

• वा (vā) - or

• चित्रम् (citram) - a picture, a painting, a wondrous sight, marvelous

• अकर्तृ (akartṛ) - without a creator, not an agent

• चिरभासुरम् (cirabhāsuram) - ever-shining, long-radiant

• अवह्निः (avahniḥ) - without fire, not fire

• एव (eva) - only, indeed, even

• वह्नित्वम् (vahnitvam) - the quality of being fire, fire-ness

• धत्ते (dhatte) - assumes, holds, bears, places

• चित्र (citra) - painted, variegated, wondrous

• अनलः (analaḥ) - fire

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

Words meanings and morphology

स्वप्ने (svapne) - in a dream

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of svapna

svapna - sleep, dream

From root svap (to sleep)

Root: svap (class 2)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

व्योम्नि (vyomni) - in the sky, in space

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vyoman

vyoman - sky, heaven, atmosphere, space

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

चित्रम् (citram) - a picture, a painting, a wondrous sight, marvelous

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of citra

citra - bright, clear, distinct, variegated, wonderful, strange, a picture, painting

अकर्तृ (akartṛ) - without a creator, not an agent

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of akartṛ

akartṛ - not a doer, non-agent, without a creator

Compound of 'a' (not) and 'kartṛ' (doer, agent, creator)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kartṛ)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• kartṛ – doer, agent, creator
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from root kṛ (to do)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Agrees with citram

चिरभासुरम् (cirabhāsuram) - ever-shining, long-radiant

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cirabhāsura

cirabhāsura - shining for a long time, ever-radiant

Compound of cira (long time) and bhāsura (shining)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (cira+bhāsura)

• cira – long (time), lasting long
  adjective
• bhāsura – shining, bright, radiant
  adjective
  From root bhās (to shine)
  Root: bhās (class 1)

Note: Agrees with citram

अवह्निः (avahniḥ) - without fire, not fire

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of avahni

avahni - not fire, fireless

Compound of 'a' (not) and 'vahni' (fire)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vahni)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• vahni – fire, Agni
  noun (masculine)
  From root vah (to carry)
  Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Agrees with analaḥ

एव (eva) - only, indeed, even

(indeclinable)

वह्नित्वम् (vahnitvam) - the quality of being fire, fire-ness

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vahnitva

vahnitva - the state or quality of being fire, fire-ness

Derived from vahni (fire) with suffix -tva (abstract noun former)

Note: Object of 'dhatte'

धत्ते (dhatte) - assumes, holds, bears, places

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of dhā

Root: dhā (class 3)

चित्र (citra) - painted, variegated, wondrous

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of citra

citra - bright, variegated, wondrous, painted

Note: Agrees with analaḥ.

अनलः (analaḥ) - fire

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anala

anala - fire, Agni (god of fire)

Literally 'not enough', indicating insatiability of fire; often considered as 'not wind' or 'not to be extinguished'.

Note: Subject of 'dhatte'

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

(indeclinable)

Previous Verse Next Verse