योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-79, verse-10

निमेष एव कः कल्पः कः कल्पोऽपि निमेषकः ।
किं प्रत्यक्षमसद्रूपं किं चेतनमचेतनम् ॥ १० ॥

nimeṣa eva kaḥ kalpaḥ kaḥ kalpo'pi nimeṣakaḥ ,
kiṃ pratyakṣamasadrūpaṃ kiṃ cetanamacetanam 10

10. nimeṣaḥ eva kaḥ kalpaḥ kaḥ kalpaḥ api nimeṣakaḥ
kim pratyakṣam asadrūpam kim cetanam acetanam

10. nimeṣaḥ eva kaḥ kalpaḥ kaḥ kalpaḥ api nimeṣakaḥ
kim pratyakṣam asadrūpam kim cetanam acetanam

10. What is that blink of an eye that is simultaneously a cosmic age (kalpa)? And what cosmic age (kalpa) is also but a mere blink of an eye? What direct perception (pratyakṣa) takes on a non-existent form? And what conscious entity (cetana) is also unconscious?

Words meanings summery:

• निमेषः (nimeṣaḥ) - a blink of an eye, twinkling

• एव (eva) - indeed, just, only

• कः (kaḥ) - who, what

• कल्पः (kalpaḥ) - cosmic age, eon, tradition

• कः (kaḥ) - who, what

• कल्पः (kalpaḥ) - cosmic age, eon, tradition

• अपि (api) - also, even

• निमेषकः (nimeṣakaḥ) - a blink, moment

• किम् (kim) - what

• प्रत्यक्षम् (pratyakṣam) - direct perception, evident

• असद्रूपम् (asadrūpam) - having a non-existent form, unreal form

• किम् (kim) - what

• चेतनम् (cetanam) - conscious, sentient, consciousness

• अचेतनम् (acetanam) - unconscious, insentient

Words meanings and morphology

निमेषः (nimeṣaḥ) - a blink of an eye, twinkling

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nimeṣa

nimeṣa - twinkling, blink, a moment

From root miṣ (to wink) with prefix ni-

Prefix: ni

Root: miṣ (class 1)

एव (eva) - indeed, just, only

(indeclinable)

कः (kaḥ) - who, what

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

कल्पः (kalpaḥ) - cosmic age, eon, tradition

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kalpa

kalpa - a cosmic period (eon), an age of the world, doctrine, alternative, custom

From root kḷp (to arrange, ordain)

Root: kḷp (class 1)

कः (kaḥ) - who, what

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

कल्पः (kalpaḥ) - cosmic age, eon, tradition

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kalpa

kalpa - a cosmic period (eon), an age of the world, doctrine, alternative, custom

From root kḷp (to arrange, ordain)

Root: kḷp (class 1)

अपि (api) - also, even

(indeclinable)

निमेषकः (nimeṣakaḥ) - a blink, moment

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nimeṣaka

nimeṣaka - a blink, momentary, twinkling

From root miṣ (to wink) with prefix ni-

Prefix: ni

Root: miṣ (class 1)

किम् (kim) - what

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

प्रत्यक्षम् (pratyakṣam) - direct perception, evident

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pratyakṣa

pratyakṣa - perceptible, evident, direct perception (pratyakṣa), before the eyes

Compound type : Avyayibhāva (prati+akṣa)

• prati – towards, against, in front of
  indeclinable
• akṣa – eye, sense organ
  noun (neuter)

असद्रूपम् (asadrūpam) - having a non-existent form, unreal form

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asadrūpa

asadrūpa - having a non-existent or unreal form, illusory form

Compound type : Bahuvrihi (asat+rūpa)

• asat – non-existent, unreal, false
  adjective (neuter)
  Present Active Participle
  From root as (to be) with negative prefix a-
  Prefix: a
  Root: as (class 2)
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance
  noun (neuter)

Note: Adjective used as a noun, referring to 'what'.

किम् (kim) - what

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

चेतनम् (cetanam) - conscious, sentient, consciousness

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cetana

cetana - conscious, sentient, intelligence, consciousness

From root cit (to perceive, know)

Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Adjective used as a noun.

अचेतनम् (acetanam) - unconscious, insentient

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of acetana

acetana - unconscious, insentient, inanimate

Compound type : Tatpurusha (a+cetana)

• a – not, un- (negative prefix)
  indeclinable
• cetana – conscious, sentient, intelligence, consciousness
  noun (neuter)
  From root cit (to perceive, know)
  Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Adjective used as a noun.