योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-2, chapter-3, verse-3

पिता शुकस्य सर्वज्ञो गुरुर्व्यासो महामतिः ।
विदेहमुक्तो न कथं कथं मुक्तः सुतोऽस्य सः ॥ ३ ॥

pitā śukasya sarvajño gururvyāso mahāmatiḥ ,
videhamukto na kathaṃ kathaṃ muktaḥ suto'sya saḥ 3

3. pitā śukasya sarvajñaḥ guruḥ vyāsaḥ mahāmatiḥ
videhamuktaḥ na katham katham muktaḥ sutaḥ asya saḥ

3. śukasya pitā sarvajñaḥ mahāmatiḥ guruḥ vyāsaḥ
katham na videhamuktaḥ asya saḥ sutaḥ katham muktaḥ

3. Rāma asks: 'How is it that Śuka's father, the omniscient and great-minded teacher (guru) Vyāsa, was not liberated (videhamukta), while his son (Śuka) attained final liberation (mokṣa)?'

Words meanings summery:

• पिता (pitā) - Refers to Vyāsa as Śuka's father. (father)

• शुकस्य (śukasya) - Indicates Śuka as the son of Vyāsa. (of Śuka)

• सर्वज्ञः (sarvajñaḥ) - Describes Vyāsa's vast knowledge. (omniscient, all-knowing)

• गुरुः (guruḥ) - Refers to Vyāsa's role as a spiritual teacher (guru). (teacher, preceptor, heavy, important)

• व्यासः (vyāsaḥ) - The sage Vyāsa, famous for his wisdom, but whose liberation state is questioned by Rāma. (Vyāsa (a revered sage, author of Mahābhārata and Puranas, father of Śuka))

• महामतिः (mahāmatiḥ) - Describes Vyāsa's intellectual and spiritual profundity. (great-minded, highly intelligent, wise)

• विदेहमुक्तः (videhamuktaḥ) - Rāma's question about Vyāsa's state of final liberation, specifically after death. (liberated from the body (post-mortem liberation), bodiless liberation.)

• न (na) - Negates Vyāsa's liberation in the first part of the question. (not, no)

• कथम् (katham) - Expresses Rāma's puzzlement about Vyāsa's state. (how, why, in what manner)

• कथम् (katham) - Expresses Rāma's puzzlement about Śuka's liberation in contrast to Vyāsa. (how, why, in what manner)

• मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - Refers to Śuka's state of final liberation (mokṣa). (liberated, released, freed)

• सुतः (sutaḥ) - Refers to Śuka, Vyāsa's son. (son)

• अस्य (asya) - Refers to Vyāsa ("his son"). (of him, his)

• सः (saḥ) - Refers to Śuka, making it explicit that it's *his* son. (he, that)

Words meanings and morphology

पिता (pitā) - Refers to Vyāsa as Śuka's father. (father)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pitṛ

pitṛ - father, ancestor.

Root form pitṛ, nominative singular is pitā.

शुकस्य (śukasya) - Indicates Śuka as the son of Vyāsa. (of Śuka)

(proper noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of śuka

śuka - Śuka (name of a sage, son of Vyāsa); parrot.

सर्वज्ञः (sarvajñaḥ) - Describes Vyāsa's vast knowledge. (omniscient, all-knowing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarvajña

sarvajña - omniscient, all-knowing, skilled in everything.

From sarva (all) + jñā (to know, formed with -jña).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sarva+jña)

• sarva – all, every, whole, complete.
  pronoun/adjective
• jña – knowing, acquainted with, wise.
  adjective
  From √jñā (to know) with suffix -a.
  Root: jñā (class 9)

गुरुः (guruḥ) - Refers to Vyāsa's role as a spiritual teacher (guru). (teacher, preceptor, heavy, important)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of guru

guru - teacher, spiritual preceptor, venerable person; heavy, important, weighty.

From √gṝ (to invoke, praise, swallow).

Root: gṝ (class 6)

Note: Appositive to `vyāsaḥ`.

व्यासः (vyāsaḥ) - The sage Vyāsa, famous for his wisdom, but whose liberation state is questioned by Rāma. (Vyāsa (a revered sage, author of Mahābhārata and Puranas, father of Śuka))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyāsa

vyāsa - Vyāsa, a celebrated sage, compiler of Vedas, author of Mahābhārata, father of Śuka.

Lit. "compiler, arranger" from vi- + ā- + √as (to throw).

Prefixes: vi+ā

Root: as (class 4)

महामतिः (mahāmatiḥ) - Describes Vyāsa's intellectual and spiritual profundity. (great-minded, highly intelligent, wise)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahāmati

mahāmati - great-minded, highly intelligent, wise.

From mahā (great) + mati (mind, intellect).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+mati)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• mati – mind, intellect, thought, understanding.
  noun (feminine)
  From √man (to think).
  Root: man (class 4)

विदेहमुक्तः (videhamuktaḥ) - Rāma's question about Vyāsa's state of final liberation, specifically after death. (liberated from the body (post-mortem liberation), bodiless liberation.)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of videhamukta

videhamukta - liberated from the body, bodilessly liberated (a state of liberation after the death of the physical body).

From vi-deha (bodiless) + mukta (liberated).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (videha+mukta)

• videha – bodiless, disembodied, not having a body.
  adjective
  From vi (without) + deha (body).
• mukta – liberated, released, freed, emancipated.
  past passive participle
  past passive participle
  From √muc (to free, release) with suffix -ta.
  Root: muc (class 6)

Note: Predicate for Vyāsa.

न (na) - Negates Vyāsa's liberation in the first part of the question. (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Particle of negation.

कथम् (katham) - Expresses Rāma's puzzlement about Vyāsa's state. (how, why, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

कथम् (katham) - Expresses Rāma's puzzlement about Śuka's liberation in contrast to Vyāsa. (how, why, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - Refers to Śuka's state of final liberation (mokṣa). (liberated, released, freed)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mukta

mukta - liberated, released, freed, emancipated.

past passive participle

From √muc (to free, release) with suffix -ta.

Root: muc (class 6)

Note: Predicate for `sutaḥ`.

सुतः (sutaḥ) - Refers to Śuka, Vyāsa's son. (son)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of suta

suta - son, child.

From √sū (to give birth).

Root: sū (class 2)

अस्य (asya) - Refers to Vyāsa ("his son"). (of him, his)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, here.

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine genitive singular.

सः (saḥ) - Refers to Śuka, making it explicit that it's *his* son. (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it.

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine nominative singular.