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?

32. כיצד יכול הר מֵרוּ לשכון בתוך חלקיק זעיר? כיצד יכול משהו להתקיים בתוך מה שנטול צורה? איפה יש איחוד בין בעל הצורה לנעדר הצורה, כשם שאין איחוד בין צל לאור?

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)

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