योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-79, verse-5

वह्नितामजहच्चैव कश्च वह्निरदाहकः ।
अवह्नेर्जायते वह्निः कस्माद्राजन्निरन्तरम् ॥ ५ ॥

vahnitāmajahaccaiva kaśca vahniradāhakaḥ ,
avahnerjāyate vahniḥ kasmādrājannirantaram 5

5. vahnitām ajahat ca eva kaḥ ca vahniḥ adāhakaḥ |
avahneḥ jāyate vahniḥ kasmāt rājan nirantaram ||

5. vahnitām ajahat eva ca kaḥ ca adāhakaḥ vahniḥ
rājan kasmāt avahneḥ vahniḥ nirantaram jāyate

5. Who is that fire which, though not abandoning its nature as fire, is nevertheless non-burning? From what non-fire, O King, is fire continuously born?

Words meanings summery:

• वह्निताम् (vahnitām) - its nature as fire (fire-ness, the quality of being fire)

• अजहत् (ajahat) - not abandoning, retaining (not abandoning, not giving up, retaining)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• एव (eva) - indeed, nevertheless (indeed, only, certainly, even)

• कः (kaḥ) - Who? (who?, which?)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• वह्निः (vahniḥ) - fire (fire, god of fire)

• अदाहकः (adāhakaḥ) - non-burning (non-burning, not consuming, not an incinerator)

• अवह्नेः (avahneḥ) - from non-fire (from non-fire, from that which is not fire)

• जायते (jāyate) - is born, originates (is born, originates, becomes)

• वह्निः (vahniḥ) - fire (fire, god of fire)

• कस्मात् (kasmāt) - from what? (from what?, why?, wherefore?)

• राजन् (rājan) - O King!

• निरन्तरम् (nirantaram) - continuously (continuously, constantly, without interval, uninterrupted)

Words meanings and morphology

वह्निताम् (vahnitām) - its nature as fire (fire-ness, the quality of being fire)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of vahnitā

vahnitā - fire-ness, the quality or state of being fire

Derived from vahni (fire) + tā (suffix for abstract noun). Feminine accusative singular.

अजहत् (ajahat) - not abandoning, retaining (not abandoning, not giving up, retaining)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ajahat

ajahat - not abandoning, not giving up, retaining

Present Active Participle (negative)

From a- (not) + √hā (to abandon, give up), jahat stem. Masculine nominative singular.

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+jahat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• jahat – abandoning, giving up
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  From √hā (to abandon), 3rd conjugation.
  Root: hā (class 3)

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction particle.

Note: Connects ajahat to the main clause.

एव (eva) - indeed, nevertheless (indeed, only, certainly, even)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

Note: Emphasizes the paradox.

कः (kaḥ) - Who? (who?, which?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who?, what?, which?

Masculine nominative singular form of the interrogative pronoun kim.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction particle.

Note: Used here for conjunction, connecting parts of the question.

वह्निः (vahniḥ) - fire (fire, god of fire)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vahni

vahni - fire, god of fire (Agni), conveying, bearer

From √vah (to carry). Masculine nominative singular.

Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Refers to the agent in the riddle.

अदाहकः (adāhakaḥ) - non-burning (non-burning, not consuming, not an incinerator)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adāhaka

adāhaka - non-burning, not consuming, not an incinerator

From a- (not) + √dah (to burn) + aka (agent suffix). Masculine nominative singular.

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+dāhaka)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• dāhaka – burning, consuming, an incinerator
  adjective/noun (masculine)
  From √dah (to burn) with -aka suffix.
  Root: dah (class 1)

अवह्नेः (avahneḥ) - from non-fire (from non-fire, from that which is not fire)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of avahni

avahni - non-fire, that which is not fire

From a- (not) + vahni (fire). Masculine ablative singular.

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vahni)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• vahni – fire
  noun (masculine)
  From √vah (to carry).
  Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Indicates source or origin.

जायते (jāyate) - is born, originates (is born, originates, becomes)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of jan

present middle

3rd person singular present indicative middle voice.

Root: jan (class 4)

वह्निः (vahniḥ) - fire (fire, god of fire)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vahni

vahni - fire, god of fire (Agni), conveying, bearer

From √vah (to carry). Masculine nominative singular.

Root: vah (class 1)

कस्मात् (kasmāt) - from what? (from what?, why?, wherefore?)

(pronoun)

Ablative, singular of kim

kim - who?, what?, which?

Masculine/Neuter ablative singular of the interrogative pronoun kim.

Note: The gender of kim is often neuter when asking 'what' rather than 'who'. Here, 'from what (thing/source)'.

राजन् (rājan) - O King!

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Masculine vocative singular form.

Root: rāj (class 1)

निरन्तरम् (nirantaram) - continuously (continuously, constantly, without interval, uninterrupted)

(indeclinable)

From nis (without) + antara (interval). Used as an adverb here.

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (nis+antara)

• nis – out, forth, without
  indeclinable
  Prefix for negation/absence.
• antara – interval, interior, difference
  noun/adjective (neuter)

Note: Functions adverbially.