योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-10, verse-2

न शून्यं कथमेतत्स्यान्न प्रकाशः कथं भवेत् ।
कथं वा न तमोरूपं कथं वा नैव भास्वरम् ॥ २ ॥

na śūnyaṃ kathametatsyānna prakāśaḥ kathaṃ bhavet ,
kathaṃ vā na tamorūpaṃ kathaṃ vā naiva bhāsvaram 2

2. na śūnyaṃ kathaṃ etat syāt na prakāśaḥ kathaṃ bhavet
kathaṃ vā na tamorūpaṃ kathaṃ vā na eva bhāsvaram

2. etat na śūnyaṃ kathaṃ syāt prakāśaḥ na kathaṃ bhavet
vā kathaṃ na tamorūpaṃ vā kathaṃ na eva bhāsvaram

2. How can this not be emptiness, and how can it not be light? How, too, is it not of the nature of darkness? And how is it not luminous?

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• शून्यं (śūnyaṁ) - void, empty, nothingness

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• एतत् (etat) - this

• स्यात् (syāt) - may be, should be, could be

• न (na) - not, no

• प्रकाशः (prakāśaḥ) - light, manifestation, brightness

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• भवेत् (bhavet) - may be, should be, could be

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• वा (vā) - or, and

• न (na) - not, no

• तमोरूपं (tamorūpaṁ) - of the nature of darkness, in the form of darkness

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• वा (vā) - or, and

• न (na) - not, no

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes the preceding 'na'. (indeed, certainly, only)

• भास्वरम् (bhāsvaram) - luminous, shining, brilliant

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

शून्यं (śūnyaṁ) - void, empty, nothingness

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śūnya

śūnya - empty, void, deserted, zero

Root: śū (class 5)

Note: It functions as a predicate adjective for the implied subject.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

(indeclinable)

एतत् (etat) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

स्यात् (syāt) - may be, should be, could be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of as

optative mood

root as, optative mood, 3rd person singular

Root: as (class 2)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

प्रकाशः (prakāśaḥ) - light, manifestation, brightness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prakāśa

prakāśa - light, brightness, splendor, manifestation

Prefix: pra

Root: kāś (class 1)

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

(indeclinable)

भवेत् (bhavet) - may be, should be, could be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of bhū

optative mood

root bhū, optative mood, 3rd person singular

Root: bhū (class 1)

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

तमोरूपं (tamorūpaṁ) - of the nature of darkness, in the form of darkness

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tamorūpa

tamorūpa - of the nature of darkness, having the form of darkness

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tamas+rūpa)

• tamas – darkness, gloom, ignorance
  noun (neuter)
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance, nature
  noun (neuter)

Note: It functions as a predicate adjective.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - Emphasizes the preceding 'na'. (indeed, certainly, only)

(indeclinable)

भास्वरम् (bhāsvaram) - luminous, shining, brilliant

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhāsvara

bhāsvara - luminous, shining, brilliant, resplendent

from root bhās (to shine)

Root: bhās (class 1)

Note: It functions as a predicate adjective.