योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-7, verse-15

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
यदेतच्चेतनं जीवो विशीर्णो जन्मजङ्गले ।
एतमात्मानमिच्छन्ति ये तेऽज्ञाः पण्डिता अपि ॥ १५ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca ,
yadetaccetanaṃ jīvo viśīrṇo janmajaṅgale ,
etamātmānamicchanti ye te'jñāḥ paṇḍitā api 15

15. śrī vasiṣṭha uvāca yat etat cetanam jīvaḥ viśīrṇaḥ
janma-jaṅgale etam ātmānam icchanti ye te ajñāḥ paṇḍitāḥ api

15. śrī vasiṣṭha uvāca ye janma-jaṅgale viśīrṇaḥ yat etat
cetanam jīvaḥ etam ātmānam icchanti te paṇḍitāḥ api ajñāḥ

15. Shri Vasiṣṭha said: Those who consider this consciousness, which is the individual soul (jīva) lost and entangled in the jungle of repeated births (saṃsāra), to be the true Self (ātman)—even these so-called learned individuals are ignorant.

Words meanings summery:

• श्री (śrī) - Illustrious (title) (illustrious, glorious, holy)

• वसिष्ठ (vasiṣṭha) - The sage Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha (a proper name, name of a celebrated Vedic sage))

• उवाच (uvāca) - (Vasiṣṭha) said (he said, spoke)

• यत् (yat) - that which (introduces a clause) (which, that which, because, since)

• एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the immediately perceived) (this, this one)

• चेतनम् (cetanam) - conscious entity, consciousness (referring to the jīva) (conscious, sentient, consciousness, soul)

• जीवः (jīvaḥ) - the individual soul (jīva) (individual soul, living being, life principle)

• विशीर्णः (viśīrṇaḥ) - lost, scattered, entangled (in the cycle of existence) (decayed, withered, scattered, lost, dissolved)

• जन्म-जङ्गले (janma-jaṅgale) - in the bewildering cycle of repeated births and deaths (saṃsāra) (in the jungle of births)

• एतम् (etam) - this (referring to the jīva described) (this, this one)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - the true Self (ātman) (self, soul, spirit, the Supreme Being)

• इच्छन्ति (icchanti) - they consider (it to be) (they desire, they wish, they consider)

• ये (ye) - those who (who (plural), those who)

• ते (te) - they (referring to 'ye') (they, those (masculine plural))

• अज्ञाः (ajñāḥ) - (are) ignorant ones (ignorant, foolish, unlearned)

• पण्डिताः (paṇḍitāḥ) - learned ones, scholars (learned, wise, scholar)

• अपि (api) - even (emphasizes the contradiction) (also, even, moreover)

Words meanings and morphology

श्री (śrī) - Illustrious (title) (illustrious, glorious, holy)

(indeclinable)

Note: Honorific prefix.

वसिष्ठ (vasiṣṭha) - The sage Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha (a proper name, name of a celebrated Vedic sage))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vasiṣṭha

vasiṣṭha - most excellent, best; name of a celebrated Vedic sage

Note: Part of the introductory phrase 'Śrī Vasiṣṭha uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - (Vasiṣṭha) said (he said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect Active

Perfect 3rd person singular, parasmaipada. Irregular form from root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

यत् (yat) - that which (introduces a clause) (which, that which, because, since)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Corresponds to 'etat' and 'cetanam jīvaḥ'.

एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the immediately perceived) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Agrees with 'yat' and 'cetanam'.

चेतनम् (cetanam) - conscious entity, consciousness (referring to the jīva) (conscious, sentient, consciousness, soul)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cetana

cetana - conscious, sentient; consciousness, soul

Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Refers to the conscious aspect of the jīva.

जीवः (jīvaḥ) - the individual soul (jīva) (individual soul, living being, life principle)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīva

jīva - living, existing; individual soul, life, living being

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: The individual soul, distinct from the Supreme Self (ātman).

विशीर्णः (viśīrṇaḥ) - lost, scattered, entangled (in the cycle of existence) (decayed, withered, scattered, lost, dissolved)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of viśīrṇa

viśīrṇa - decayed, withered, scattered, dissolved, lost

Past Passive Participle

From √śṝ (to tear, break) with prefix vi.

Prefix: vi

Root: śṝ (class 9)

Note: Modifies 'jīvaḥ'.

जन्म-जङ्गले (janma-jaṅgale) - in the bewildering cycle of repeated births and deaths (saṃsāra) (in the jungle of births)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of janma-jaṅgala

janma-jaṅgala - jungle of birth, forest of existence

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (janman+jaṅgala)

• janman – birth, existence, life
  noun (neuter)
  Root: jan (class 4)
• jaṅgala – jungle, forest, wild country
  noun (neuter)

Note: Locative indicates the place where the jīva is 'lost'.

एतम् (etam) - this (referring to the jīva described) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Object of 'icchanti', refers to 'jīvaḥ'.

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - the true Self (ātman) (self, soul, spirit, the Supreme Being)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - breath, soul, self, the individual self, the universal self, Brahman

Note: Object of 'icchanti', indicating what they *consider* the jīva to be.

इच्छन्ति (icchanti) - they consider (it to be) (they desire, they wish, they consider)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of iṣ

Present Active

Present 3rd person plural, parasmaipada. From root iṣ (class 6).

Root: iṣ (class 6)

Note: Verb for 'ye' (who).

ये (ye) - those who (who (plural), those who)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Relative pronoun introducing the clause describing the ignorant.

ते (te) - they (referring to 'ye') (they, those (masculine plural))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it, they

Note: Correlative pronoun to 'ye'.

अज्ञाः (ajñāḥ) - (are) ignorant ones (ignorant, foolish, unlearned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ajña

ajña - ignorant, foolish, not knowing

Derived from 'jña' (knowing) with negative prefix 'a'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+jña)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• jña – knowing, acquainted with
  adjective (masculine)
  From √jñā (to know).
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'te'.

पण्डिताः (paṇḍitāḥ) - learned ones, scholars (learned, wise, scholar)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of paṇḍita

paṇḍita - learned, wise, scholar, pundit

Note: Refers to those who *claim* to be learned.

अपि (api) - even (emphasizes the contradiction) (also, even, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes that even supposedly learned people can be ignorant in this matter.