योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-10, verse-20

सलिलान्तर्यथा वीचिर्मृदन्तर्घटको यथा ।
तथा यत्र जगत्सत्ता तत्कथं खात्मकं भवेत् ॥ २० ॥

salilāntaryathā vīcirmṛdantarghaṭako yathā ,
tathā yatra jagatsattā tatkathaṃ khātmakaṃ bhavet 20

20. salila antaḥ yathā vīciḥ mṛd antaḥ ghaṭakaḥ yathā
tathā yatra jagatsattā tat katham khātmakam bhavet

20. yathā salila antaḥ vīciḥ,
yathā mṛd antaḥ ghaṭakaḥ,
tathā yatra jagatsattā (asti),
tat katham khātmakam bhavet?

20. Just as a wave (vīci) is within water (salila), and a pot (ghaṭaka) is within clay (mṛd), so too, how can that, where the world's existence (jagatsattā) resides, be of the nature of space (khātmakam)?

Words meanings summery:

• सलिल (salila) - water

• अन्तः (antaḥ) - within, inside

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

• वीचिः (vīciḥ) - wave, ripple

• मृद् (mṛd) - clay, earth

• अन्तः (antaḥ) - within, inside

• घटकः (ghaṭakaḥ) - pot, jar

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in the same way

• यत्र (yatra) - where, in which

• जगत्सत्ता (jagatsattā) - the existence of the world, the reality of the world

• तत् (tat) - that, that one

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

• खात्मकम् (khātmakam) - of the nature of space/ether

• भवेत् (bhavet) - could it be, how can it be (may be, should be, would be)

Words meanings and morphology

सलिल (salila) - water

(noun)

neuter, singular of salila

salila - water

अन्तः (antaḥ) - within, inside

(indeclinable)

Adverb or preposition.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)

Relative adverb of manner.

वीचिः (vīciḥ) - wave, ripple

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vīci

vīci - wave, ripple, stream

Note: Subject of the first comparison.

मृद् (mṛd) - clay, earth

(noun)

feminine, singular of mṛd

mṛd - clay, earth, soil

अन्तः (antaḥ) - within, inside

(indeclinable)

Adverb or preposition.

घटकः (ghaṭakaḥ) - pot, jar

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ghaṭaka

ghaṭaka - pot, jar, pitcher

Note: Subject of the second comparison.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)

Relative adverb of manner.

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in the same way

(indeclinable)

Correlative adverb to 'yathā'.

यत्र (yatra) - where, in which

(indeclinable)

Relative adverb of place.

जगत्सत्ता (jagatsattā) - the existence of the world, the reality of the world

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of jagatsattā

jagatsattā - existence of the world, reality of the world

Compound type : tatpurusha (jagat+sattā)

• jagat – world, universe
  noun (neuter)
  Present active participle
  From root gam- (to go) in present active participle form
  Root: gam (class 1)
• sattā – existence, reality, being
  noun (feminine)
  From sat (being, existing) + -tā (suffix for abstract noun)
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Subject of the dependent clause.

तत् (tat) - that, that one

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, that one, he/she/it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Subject of the main clause.

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

खात्मकम् (khātmakam) - of the nature of space/ether

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of khātmaka

khātmaka - of the nature of space/ether, composed of space

Compound type : bahuvrihi (kha+ātmaka)

• kha – space, ether, sky, empty space
  noun (neuter)
• ātmaka – having the nature of, consisting of, made of
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from ātman (self) + -ka (possessive/adjectival suffix)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'tat'.

भवेत् (bhavet) - could it be, how can it be (may be, should be, would be)

(verb)

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

Optative active

3rd singular optative active

Root: bhū (class 1)