योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-116, verse-21

तेन पुरुषेण जातमात्रेणैव बाल्यात्प्रभृति
विद्याग्रहणं कर्तव्यं गुरवोऽनुगन्तव्याः ॥ २१ ॥

tena puruṣeṇa jātamātreṇaiva bālyātprabhṛti
vidyāgrahaṇaṃ kartavyaṃ guravo'nugantavyāḥ 21

21. tena puruṣeṇa jātamātreṇa eva bālyāt prabhṛti
vidyāgrahaṇam kartavyam guravaḥ anugantavyāḥ

21. tena puruṣeṇa jātamātreṇa eva bālyāt prabhṛti
vidyāgrahaṇam kartavyam guravaḥ anugantavyāḥ

21. That individual (puruṣa), from the very moment of birth and continuously from childhood onwards, should undertake the acquisition of knowledge, and spiritual teachers (guru) should be followed.

Words meanings summery:

• तेन (tena) - by that individual (by him, by that, by it)

• पुरुषेण (puruṣeṇa) - by that individual (puruṣa) (by a man, by a person, by a spiritual being)

• जातमात्रेण (jātamātreṇa) - by that individual just by being born (by one just born, by merely being born)

• एव (eva) - indeed, emphasizing the immediacy of the instruction (only, indeed, just, precisely)

• बाल्यात् (bālyāt) - from childhood

• प्रभृति (prabhṛti) - onwards from (beginning from, onwards from, since)

• विद्याग्रहणम् (vidyāgrahaṇam) - the acquisition of knowledge (acquisition of knowledge, learning)

• कर्तव्यम् (kartavyam) - should be undertaken (should be done, ought to be done, is to be performed)

• गुरवः (guravaḥ) - spiritual teachers (guru) (teachers, spiritual preceptors, heavy ones)

• अनुगन्तव्याः (anugantavyāḥ) - should be followed (should be followed, ought to be followed)

Words meanings and morphology

तेन (tena) - by that individual (by him, by that, by it)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

पुरुषेण (puruṣeṇa) - by that individual (puruṣa) (by a man, by a person, by a spiritual being)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, person, male, human being, the Supreme Cosmic Person (puruṣa)

Note: The term puruṣa here refers to an individual human being.

जातमात्रेण (jātamātreṇa) - by that individual just by being born (by one just born, by merely being born)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of jātamātra

jātamātra - just born, newly born

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (jāta+mātra)

• jāta – born, produced
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)
• mātra – only, merely, just, measure
  indeclinable (neuter)

Note: Qualifies puruṣeṇa.

एव (eva) - indeed, emphasizing the immediacy of the instruction (only, indeed, just, precisely)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes jātamātreṇa.

बाल्यात् (bālyāt) - from childhood

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of bālya

bālya - childhood, infancy, childishness

Derivative from bāla (child)

प्रभृति (prabhṛti) - onwards from (beginning from, onwards from, since)

(indeclinable)

Prefix: pra

Root: bhṛ (class 3)

Note: Used with bālyāt to indicate 'from childhood onwards'.

विद्याग्रहणम् (vidyāgrahaṇam) - the acquisition of knowledge (acquisition of knowledge, learning)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vidyāgrahaṇa

vidyāgrahaṇa - acquisition of knowledge, learning, studying

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vidyā+grahaṇa)

• vidyā – knowledge, learning, science
  noun (feminine)
  Root: vid (class 2)
• grahaṇa – grasping, seizing, acquiring, understanding
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root grah (to seize, grasp)
  Root: grah (class 9)

Note: Subject of the passive verb kartavyam.

कर्तव्यम् (kartavyam) - should be undertaken (should be done, ought to be done, is to be performed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kartavya

kartavya - to be done, proper to be done, duty

Gerundive

Derived from root kṛ (to do) with suffix -tavya

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Agrees with vidyāgrahaṇam.

गुरवः (guravaḥ) - spiritual teachers (guru) (teachers, spiritual preceptors, heavy ones)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of guru

guru - teacher, spiritual preceptor (guru), venerable, heavy, important

Note: Subject of the passive verb anugantavyāḥ.

अनुगन्तव्याः (anugantavyāḥ) - should be followed (should be followed, ought to be followed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of anugantavya

anugantavya - to be followed, to be imitated

Gerundive

Derived from root gam (to go) with upasarga anu and suffix -tavya

Prefix: anu

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Agrees with guravaḥ.