योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-2, verse-9

अथागत्य यमं मृत्युरपृच्छत्संशयच्छिदम् ।
किमित्यहं न शक्नोमि भोक्तुमाकाशजं विभो ॥ ९ ॥

athāgatya yamaṃ mṛtyurapṛcchatsaṃśayacchidam ,
kimityahaṃ na śaknomi bhoktumākāśajaṃ vibho 9

9. atha āgatya yamam mṛtyuḥ apṛcchat saṃśayacchidam
kim iti aham na śaknomi bhoktum ākāśajam vibho

9. atha mṛtyuḥ saṃśayacchidam yamam āgatya apṛcchat,
“vibho! aham ākāśajam bhoktum na śaknomi iti kim?”

9. Then Death (mṛtyu), having come to Yama, the dispeller of doubts, asked, "O Lord, why am I unable to consume this 'sky-born' (ākāśaja) one?"

Words meanings summery:

• अथ (atha) - marks the sequence of events (then, now, thereupon)

• आगत्य (āgatya) - Death having come to Yama (having come, approaching)

• यमम् (yamam) - the deity Yama, to whom Mṛtyu speaks (Yama (god of death))

• मृत्युः (mṛtyuḥ) - The personification of Death who is speaking (Death (personified), demise)

• अपृच्छत् (apṛcchat) - Death asked Yama (he asked)

• संशयच्छिदम् (saṁśayacchidam) - an epithet for Yama, known for his wisdom (dispeller of doubts)

• किम् (kim) - indicates a question ("why?") (what? why?)

• इति (iti) - marks the beginning or end of a direct quote or question (thus, so, (quotation marker))

• अहम् (aham) - Death referring to himself (I)

• न (na) - negation of the verb 'śaknomi' (not)

• शक्नोमि (śaknomi) - Death is unable (I am able)

• भोक्तुम् (bhoktum) - to consume the brahmin (i.e., cause his death) (to eat, to enjoy, to consume, to devour)

• आकाशजम् (ākāśajam) - referring to the brahmin, implying a celestial or ethereal nature, making him hard to grasp. (born of the sky/space)

• विभो (vibho) - vocative, addressing Yama as master (O Lord, O omnipresent one!)

Words meanings and morphology

अथ (atha) - marks the sequence of events (then, now, thereupon)

(indeclinable)

आगत्य (āgatya) - Death having come to Yama (having come, approaching)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (lyap)

From root 'gam' (to go) with prefix 'ā', and suffix '-ya' (lYAP)

Prefix: ā

Root: gam (class 1)

यमम् (yamam) - the deity Yama, to whom Mṛtyu speaks (Yama (god of death))

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of yama

yama - Yama (god of death), twin, restraint

Root: yam (class 1)

मृत्युः (mṛtyuḥ) - The personification of Death who is speaking (Death (personified), demise)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛtyu

mṛtyu - death, demise, Death (personified)

From root 'mṛ' (to die) + suffix '-tyu'

Root: mṛ (class 6)

अपृच्छत् (apṛcchat) - Death asked Yama (he asked)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of prach

Imperfect Tense

Third person singular, parasmaipada

Root: prach (class 6)

संशयच्छिदम् (saṁśayacchidam) - an epithet for Yama, known for his wisdom (dispeller of doubts)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of saṃśayacchid

saṁśayacchid - dispeller of doubts, resolver of uncertainties

Agent noun

From 'saṃśaya' (doubt) + root 'chid' (to cut, dispel)

Compound type : Upapada Tatpurusha (saṃśaya+chid)

• saṃśaya – doubt, uncertainty
  noun (masculine)
  From śī with sam
  Prefix: sam
  Root: śī (class 2)
• chid – cutting, splitting, dispelling
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent suffix
  From root chid (to cut)
  Root: chid (class 7)

Note: Agrees with 'yamam'

किम् (kim) - indicates a question ("why?") (what? why?)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which, why

Note: Used in 'kim iti' to mean 'why'

इति (iti) - marks the beginning or end of a direct quote or question (thus, so, (quotation marker))

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - Death referring to himself (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

न (na) - negation of the verb 'śaknomi' (not)

(indeclinable)

शक्नोमि (śaknomi) - Death is unable (I am able)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of śak

Present Tense

First person singular, parasmaipada

Root: śak (class 5)

भोक्तुम् (bhoktum) - to consume the brahmin (i.e., cause his death) (to eat, to enjoy, to consume, to devour)

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

From root 'bhuj' (to enjoy, eat) with suffix '-tum'

Root: bhuj (class 7)

आकाशजम् (ākāśajam) - referring to the brahmin, implying a celestial or ethereal nature, making him hard to grasp. (born of the sky/space)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ākāśaja

ākāśaja - born from the sky or space

From 'ākāśa' (sky, space) + root 'jan' (to be born)

Compound type : Upapada Tatpurusha (ākāśa+ja)

• ākāśa – sky, space, ether
  noun (masculine)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix -ja from root jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Agrees with implied 'dvijam'

विभो (vibho) - vocative, addressing Yama as master (O Lord, O omnipresent one!)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vibhu

vibhu - lord, master, omnipresent, mighty

Root: bhū (class 1)

Previous Verse Next Verse