योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-1, verse-30

न किंचिदात्मनः किंचित्कथमेति कुतोऽथवा ।
शून्यरूपाद्धटाकाशाज्जातोऽद्रिः क्व कुतः कदा ॥ ३० ॥

na kiṃcidātmanaḥ kiṃcitkathameti kuto'thavā ,
śūnyarūpāddhaṭākāśājjāto'driḥ kva kutaḥ kadā 30

30. na kiñcit ātmanaḥ kiñcit katham eti kutaḥ athavā
śūnya rūpāt ghaṭa ākāśāt jātaḥ adriḥ kva kutaḥ kadā

30. ātmanaḥ na kiñcit katham kiñcit eti athavā kutaḥ.
śūnyarūpāt ghaṭa ākāśāt jātaḥ adriḥ kva kutaḥ kadā.

30. If nothing (kiñcit) comes from the Self (ātman), then how can something (kiñcit) emerge from it, or from where? How could a mountain be born from the empty form of pot-space (ghaṭākāśa) – where, from what source, and at what time?

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not (a negation of source or origin) (not, no, nor)

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything (implying 'nothing at all' when paired with 'na') (something, anything, a little)

• आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - from the Self (ātman) (referring to the ultimate, unchanging reality) (from the self, of the self, than the self)

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - something (referring to a distinct entity) (something, anything, a little)

• कथम् (katham) - how (questioning the process of emergence) (how? in what manner?)

• एति (eti) - emerges, comes forth (from a source) (comes, goes, approaches, obtains)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - from what source (questioning the origin) (from where? whence? why?)

• अथवा (athavā) - or (offering an alternative phrasing of the question) (or, alternatively)

• शून्य (śūnya) - empty (describing the form of space) (empty, void, null, non-existent)

• रूपात् (rūpāt) - from the form (referring to the mere appearance or nature) (from the form, from the nature)

• घट (ghaṭa) - pot (used in the analogy of pot-space) (pot, jar, pitcher)

• आकाशात् (ākāśāt) - from space (referring to the analogy of space contained within a pot, then released) (from space, from ether, from sky)

• जातः (jātaḥ) - born (referring to the hypothetical emergence of a mountain) (born, produced, arisen)

• अद्रिः (adriḥ) - a mountain (a symbol of solid, material creation) (mountain, rock, stone)

• क्व (kva) - where (questioning its location) (where? to what place?)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - from what source (questioning its origin) (from where? whence? why?)

• कदा (kadā) - at what time (questioning its temporal existence) (when? at what time?)

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not (a negation of source or origin) (not, no, nor)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything (implying 'nothing at all' when paired with 'na') (something, anything, a little)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiñcit

kiñcit - something, anything, a little, perhaps

From 'kim' + 'cit' suffix

Note: Combined with 'na' to mean 'nothing'.

आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - from the Self (ātman) (referring to the ultimate, unchanging reality) (from the self, of the self, than the self)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, breath

Note: Can also be genitive. Context indicates ablative 'from the Self'.

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - something (referring to a distinct entity) (something, anything, a little)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiñcit

kiñcit - something, anything, a little, perhaps

From 'kim' + 'cit' suffix

Note: Emphasizes the supposed existence of something.

कथम् (katham) - how (questioning the process of emergence) (how? in what manner?)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

एति (eti) - emerges, comes forth (from a source) (comes, goes, approaches, obtains)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of i

present indicative

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Refers to the emergence or coming forth.

कुतः (kutaḥ) - from what source (questioning the origin) (from where? whence? why?)

(indeclinable)

From 'kim' + 'taḥ' suffix

Note: Interrogative adverb, focuses on the source.

अथवा (athavā) - or (offering an alternative phrasing of the question) (or, alternatively)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects two interrogative clauses.

शून्य (śūnya) - empty (describing the form of space) (empty, void, null, non-existent)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of śūnya

śūnya - empty, void, null, non-existent

Note: First part of the compound 'śūnyarūpāt'.

रूपात् (rūpāt) - from the form (referring to the mere appearance or nature) (from the form, from the nature)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of rūpa

rūpa - form, shape, appearance, nature, beauty

Note: Forms a tatpuruṣa compound 'śūnyarūpāt', meaning 'from the form of emptiness'.

घट (ghaṭa) - pot (used in the analogy of pot-space) (pot, jar, pitcher)

(noun)

masculine, singular of ghaṭa

ghaṭa - pot, jar, pitcher, a pitcher-shaped vessel

Note: First part of the compound 'ghaṭākāśāt'.

आकाशात् (ākāśāt) - from space (referring to the analogy of space contained within a pot, then released) (from space, from ether, from sky)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of ākāśa

ākāśa - space, ether, sky, the fifth element

Note: Forms a tatpuruṣa compound 'ghaṭākāśāt', meaning 'from the pot-space'.

जातः (jātaḥ) - born (referring to the hypothetical emergence of a mountain) (born, produced, arisen)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jāta

jāta - born, produced, arisen, existing

Past Passive Participle

From root 'jan' (to be born) + 'kta' suffix

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Agrees with 'adriḥ'.

अद्रिः (adriḥ) - a mountain (a symbol of solid, material creation) (mountain, rock, stone)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adri

adri - mountain, rock, stone, cloud

Note: The subject of the question.

क्व (kva) - where (questioning its location) (where? to what place?)

(indeclinable)

From 'kim' + 'a' suffix

Note: Interrogative adverb of place.

कुतः (kutaḥ) - from what source (questioning its origin) (from where? whence? why?)

(indeclinable)

From 'kim' + 'taḥ' suffix

Note: Interrogative adverb, reiterates the question of origin.

कदा (kadā) - at what time (questioning its temporal existence) (when? at what time?)

(indeclinable)

From 'kim' + 'dā' suffix

Note: Interrogative adverb of time.