योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-1, verse-32

मेरुरास्ते कथमणौ कुतः किंचिदनाकृतौ ।
तदतद्रूपयोरैक्यं क्व च्छायातपयोरिव ॥ ३२ ॥

merurāste kathamaṇau kutaḥ kiṃcidanākṛtau ,
tadatadrūpayoraikyaṃ kva cchāyātapayoriva 32

32. meruḥ āste katham aṇau kutaḥ kiṃcit anākṛtau
tat-atat-rūpayoḥ aikyaṃ kva cchāyātapayoḥ iva

32. meruḥ aṇau katham āste anākṛtau kiṃcit kutaḥ
tat-atat-rūpayoḥ cchāyātapayoḥ iva aikyaṃ kva

32. How can Mount Meru exist in an atom? How can anything exist in the formless? Where can oneness exist between 'that' and 'not-that' forms, just as between shade and sunlight?

Words meanings summery:

• मेरुः (meruḥ) - Mount Meru (symbolizing something vast) (Mount Meru (mythical golden mountain, center of the world))

• आस्ते (āste) - exists (sits, stays, exists, remains)

• कथम् (katham) - how (can it be?) (how, in what manner)

• अणौ (aṇau) - in an atom (symbolizing something tiny) (in an atom, in a particle, in a minute thing)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - how (can it be?) (whence, from where, why, how)

• किंचित् (kiṁcit) - anything (something, anything, somewhat)

• अनाकृतौ (anākṛtau) - in the formless (in the unformed, in the shapeless, in the unmanifested)

• तत्-अतत्-रूपयोः (tat-atat-rūpayoḥ) - of 'that' and 'not-that' forms (representing contradictory natures) (of the forms of 'that' and 'not that', of positive and negative forms)

• ऐक्यं (aikyaṁ) - oneness (unity, oneness, identity)

• क्व (kva) - where (can it be found?) (where, in what place, when, how, why)

• च्छायातपयोः (cchāyātapayoḥ) - between shade and sunlight (of shade and sun)

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as it were)

Words meanings and morphology

मेरुः (meruḥ) - Mount Meru (symbolizing something vast) (Mount Meru (mythical golden mountain, center of the world))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of meru

meru - Mount Meru, a mountain, peak

आस्ते (āste) - exists (sits, stays, exists, remains)

(verb)

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

Present Active

root ās (class 2)

Root: ās (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how (can it be?) (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

अणौ (aṇau) - in an atom (symbolizing something tiny) (in an atom, in a particle, in a minute thing)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of aṇu

aṇu - atom, particle, minute, small

Root: aṇ

कुतः (kutaḥ) - how (can it be?) (whence, from where, why, how)

(indeclinable)

किंचित् (kiṁcit) - anything (something, anything, somewhat)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiṃcit

kiṁcit - something, anything, a little

अनाकृतौ (anākṛtau) - in the formless (in the unformed, in the shapeless, in the unmanifested)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of anākṛta

anākṛta - unformed, shapeless, unmanifested, not done

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+ākṛta)

• a – not, non
  indeclinable
• ākṛta – formed, shaped, made, done
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root kṛ with prefix ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Functions as a noun 'the formless' here.

तत्-अतत्-रूपयोः (tat-atat-rūpayoḥ) - of 'that' and 'not-that' forms (representing contradictory natures) (of the forms of 'that' and 'not that', of positive and negative forms)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, dual of tat-atat-rūpa

tat-atat-rūpa - having the form of 'that' and 'not that', of the existent and non-existent

Compound type : dvandva (tat+atat+rūpa)

• tat – that, it, he, she
  pronoun (neuter)
• atat – not that, non-existent
  pronoun (neuter)
  Negative compound with 'tat'
  Prefix: a
• rūpa – form, nature, appearance, beauty
  noun (neuter)

Note: Literally "of the forms of 'that' and 'not-that'", indicating two opposing natures.

ऐक्यं (aikyaṁ) - oneness (unity, oneness, identity)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of aikya

aikya - unity, oneness, identity, sameness

Derived from 'eka' (one) with the suffix '-ya'

क्व (kva) - where (can it be found?) (where, in what place, when, how, why)

(indeclinable)

च्छायातपयोः (cchāyātapayoḥ) - between shade and sunlight (of shade and sun)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, dual of cchāyātapa

cchāyātapa - shade and sun, light and shade

Compound type : dvandva (cchāyā+ātapa)

• cchāyā – shade, shadow
  noun (feminine)
• ātapa – sunshine, heat, warmth
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: ā

Note: Used in the genitive dual, implying 'of' or 'between' the two.

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as it were)

(indeclinable)