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

कथं वा नैव चिद्रूपं जीवो वा न कथं भवेत् ।
कथं न बुद्धितत्त्वं स्यात्कथं वा न मनो भवेत् ॥ ३ ॥

kathaṃ vā naiva cidrūpaṃ jīvo vā na kathaṃ bhavet ,
kathaṃ na buddhitattvaṃ syātkathaṃ vā na mano bhavet 3

3. kathaṃ vā na eva cidrūpaṃ jīvaḥ vā na kathaṃ bhavet
kathaṃ na buddhitattvaṃ syāt kathaṃ vā na manaḥ bhavet

3. kathaṃ vā na eva cidrūpaṃ jīvaḥ vā na kathaṃ bhavet
kathaṃ na buddhitattvaṃ syāt kathaṃ vā na manaḥ bhavet

3. How, too, can it not be of the nature of consciousness? And how can it not be a soul (jīva)? How can it not be the principle of intellect (buddhi)? Or how can it not be mind (manas)?

Words meanings summery:

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• वा (vā) - or, and

• न (na) - not, no

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes the preceding 'na'. 'na eva' means 'certainly not'. (indeed, certainly, only)

• चिद्रूपं (cidrūpaṁ) - of the nature of consciousness, having the form of consciousness

• जीवः (jīvaḥ) - a living being, soul, individual soul (jīva)

• वा (vā) - or, and

• न (na) - not, no

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

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

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• न (na) - not, no

• बुद्धितत्त्वं (buddhitattvaṁ) - the principle of intellect (buddhi)

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

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

• वा (vā) - or, and

• न (na) - not, no

• मनः (manaḥ) - mind (manas)

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

Words meanings and morphology

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - Emphasizes the preceding 'na'. 'na eva' means 'certainly not'. (indeed, certainly, only)

(indeclinable)

चिद्रूपं (cidrūpaṁ) - of the nature of consciousness, having the form of consciousness

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cidrūpa

cidrūpa - having consciousness as its nature, of the form of consciousness

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (cit+rūpa)

• cit – consciousness, thought, pure intelligence
  noun (feminine)
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance, nature
  noun (neuter)

Note: It functions as a predicate adjective.

जीवः (jīvaḥ) - a living being, soul, individual soul (jīva)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīva

jīva - living, alive; a living being, soul, individual soul

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Used as a predicate noun.

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

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)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

बुद्धितत्त्वं (buddhitattvaṁ) - the principle of intellect (buddhi)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of buddhitattva

buddhitattva - the principle of intellect, the essence of intelligence

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (buddhi+tattva)

• buddhi – intellect, understanding, reason, discernment
  noun (feminine)
  Root: budh (class 1)
• tattva – reality, truth, principle, essence
  noun (neuter)

Note: Used as a predicate noun.

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)

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, why

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

मनः (manaḥ) - mind (manas)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of manas

manas - mind, intellect, understanding, heart

Note: Used as a predicate noun.

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)