योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-102, verse-29

एषा तुच्छवदाकाशं तुषारमलिनं यथा ।
परिपश्यति विभ्रान्ता स्वरूपस्य स्वभावतः ॥ २९ ॥

eṣā tucchavadākāśaṃ tuṣāramalinaṃ yathā ,
paripaśyati vibhrāntā svarūpasya svabhāvataḥ 29

29. eṣā tucchavat ākāśam tuṣāramalinam yathā
paripaśyati vibhrāntā svarūpasya svabhāvataḥ

29. eṣā vibhrāntā svarūpasya svabhāvataḥ ākāśam
tuṣāramalinam yathā tucchavat paripaśyati

29. This (nescience), deluded (vibhrāntā), perceives the intrinsic nature (svabhāva) of reality (svarūpa) as empty, just as the sky appears sullied by frost.

Words meanings summery:

• एषा (eṣā) - Refers to the mental power or nescience (avidyā) from previous verses. (this (feminine, nominative, singular))

• तुच्छवत् (tucchavat) - Describes how the mental power perceives reality – as void or insignificant. (as if void, as if empty, like a trifle)

• आकाशम् (ākāśam) - Used metaphorically to represent the pure and boundless reality, which appears distorted by delusion. (sky, space, ether)

• तुषारमलिनम् (tuṣāramalinam) - Describes how the clear sky can appear impure due to external factors, serving as an analogy for how reality appears to the deluded mind. (sullied by frost, made dirty by mist)

• यथा (yathā) - Introduces the comparison between how the sky appears and how reality is perceived by a deluded mind. (just as, as, in which way)

• परिपश्यति (paripaśyati) - The action of the deluded mental faculty, perceiving the true nature. (perceives, sees all around, observes)

• विभ्रान्ता (vibhrāntā) - Describes the state of the mental faculty (eṣā) that causes it to perceive incorrectly. (deluded, confused, bewildered)

• स्वरूपस्य (svarūpasya) - Refers to the inherent, essential nature of the self or ultimate reality. (of one's own form, of its true nature, of reality)

• स्वभावतः (svabhāvataḥ) - Emphasizes that the perception is about the inherent quality of svarūpa. (by nature, by its intrinsic nature, naturally)

Words meanings and morphology

एषा (eṣā) - Refers to the mental power or nescience (avidyā) from previous verses. (this (feminine, nominative, singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, this here

Note: Subject of 'paripaśyati'.

तुच्छवत् (tucchavat) - Describes how the mental power perceives reality – as void or insignificant. (as if void, as if empty, like a trifle)

(indeclinable)

Derived from 'tuccha' (empty, trifling) with 'vat' suffix (like, as)

आकाशम् (ākāśam) - Used metaphorically to represent the pure and boundless reality, which appears distorted by delusion. (sky, space, ether)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ākāśa

ākāśa - sky, space, ether, the fifth element, all-pervading substratum

Prefix 'ā-' + root 'kāś' (to shine, appear)

Prefix: ā

Root: kāś (class 1)

Note: Object of 'paripaśyati'.

तुषारमलिनम् (tuṣāramalinam) - Describes how the clear sky can appear impure due to external factors, serving as an analogy for how reality appears to the deluded mind. (sullied by frost, made dirty by mist)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tuṣāramalina

tuṣāramalina - sullied by frost/mist, dirty with dew, obscured by fog

Compound 'tuṣāra' (frost) + 'malina' (dirty)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tuṣāra+malina)

• tuṣāra – frost, dew, mist, ice
  noun (masculine)
• malina – dirty, sullied, impure, dark, stained
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Qualifies 'ākāśam'.

यथा (yathā) - Introduces the comparison between how the sky appears and how reality is perceived by a deluded mind. (just as, as, in which way)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle for comparison.

परिपश्यति (paripaśyati) - The action of the deluded mental faculty, perceiving the true nature. (perceives, sees all around, observes)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of paripaś

Prefix 'pari-' + root 'dṛś' (to see), changed to 'paś' in present tense

Prefix: pari

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Subject is 'eṣā'.

विभ्रान्ता (vibhrāntā) - Describes the state of the mental faculty (eṣā) that causes it to perceive incorrectly. (deluded, confused, bewildered)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vibhrānta

vibhrānta - deluded, confused, bewildered, mistaken, agitated, wandering

Past Passive Participle

Prefix 'vi-' + root 'bhram' (to wander, to be confused) + 'kta' suffix

Prefix: vi

Root: bhram (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'eṣā'. Term to be bracketed in translation.

स्वरूपस्य (svarūpasya) - Refers to the inherent, essential nature of the self or ultimate reality. (of one's own form, of its true nature, of reality)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of svarūpa

svarūpa - one's own form, true nature, essential nature, reality, inherent form

Compound 'sva' (self, own) + 'rūpa' (form)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+rūpa)

• sva – self, own, one's own
  pronoun (neuter)
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance, nature, beauty
  noun (neuter)

Note: Term to be bracketed in translation.

स्वभावतः (svabhāvataḥ) - Emphasizes that the perception is about the inherent quality of svarūpa. (by nature, by its intrinsic nature, naturally)

(indeclinable)

Compound 'sva' (own) + 'bhāva' (being, nature), with '-tas' suffix for ablative/adverbial sense.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+bhāva)

• sva – self, own, one's own
  pronoun (neuter)
• bhāva – being, state, nature, existence, feeling, disposition
  noun (masculine)
  Root 'bhū' (to be) + 'a' suffix
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Used as an adverb. Term to be bracketed in translation.

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