योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-22, verse-22

कोऽहं कथमिदं चेति यावन्न प्रविचारितम् ।
संसाराडम्बरं तावदन्धकारोपमं स्थितम् ॥ २२ ॥

ko'haṃ kathamidaṃ ceti yāvanna pravicāritam ,
saṃsārāḍambaraṃ tāvadandhakāropamaṃ sthitam 22

22. kaḥ aham katham idam ca iti yāvat na pravicāritam
saṃsāra-āḍambaram tāvat andhakāra-upamam sthitam

22. yāvat kaḥ aham katham idam ca iti na pravicāritam [bhavati]
tāvat saṃsāra-āḍambaram andhakāra-upamam sthitam [bhavati]

22. As long as one does not thoroughly investigate 'Who am I?' and 'How is this [world]?', for that long the grand illusion of transmigration (saṃsāra) remains like darkness.

Words meanings summery:

• कः (kaḥ) - who (am I) (who, what)

• अहम् (aham) - (am) I (I)

• कथम् (katham) - how (is this world) (how, in what manner)

• इदम् (idam) - this (world/phenomenon) (this, this one)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• इति (iti) - signalling direct speech or thought (thus, so, to this effect)

• यावत् (yāvat) - as long as (as long as, as far as)

• न (na) - not, no

• प्रविचारितम् (pravicāritam) - (is) thoroughly investigated (thoroughly investigated, well-considered)

• संसार-आडम्बरम् (saṁsāra-āḍambaram) - the grand illusion of transmigration (saṃsāra) (the spectacle of transmigration, the grand illusion of existence)

• तावत् (tāvat) - for that long (so long, up to that extent)

• अन्धकार-उपमम् (andhakāra-upamam) - like darkness (like darkness, resembling darkness)

• स्थितम् (sthitam) - remains, is present (situated, standing, existing, remaining)

Words meanings and morphology

कः (kaḥ) - who (am I) (who, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Masculine nominative singular of the interrogative pronoun 'kim'.

Note: Refers to the self.

अहम् (aham) - (am) I (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Nominative singular of the first-person pronoun.

कथम् (katham) - how (is this world) (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb from 'kim'.

इदम् (idam) - this (world/phenomenon) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Neuter nominative/accusative singular of demonstrative pronoun idam.

Note: The subject of the implicit question "How is this?".

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

इति (iti) - signalling direct speech or thought (thus, so, to this effect)

(indeclinable)

Particle.

यावत् (yāvat) - as long as (as long as, as far as)

(indeclinable)

Correlative with 'tāvat'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

प्रविचारितम् (pravicāritam) - (is) thoroughly investigated (thoroughly investigated, well-considered)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pravicārita

pravicārita - thoroughly investigated, well-considered, reflected upon

Past Passive Participle

From pra + vi + car (to move/think) + kta.

Prefixes: pra+vi

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective, implying a passive construction.

संसार-आडम्बरम् (saṁsāra-āḍambaram) - the grand illusion of transmigration (saṃsāra) (the spectacle of transmigration, the grand illusion of existence)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of saṃsāra-āḍambara

saṁsāra-āḍambara - the show/spectacle of worldly existence, the grand display of transmigration

Tatpurusha compound: saṃsāra (transmigration) + āḍambara (spectacle, pomp, illusion).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (saṃsāra+āḍambara)

• saṃsāra – transmigration, cycle of birth and death, worldly existence
  noun (masculine)
  From saṃ + sṛ (to flow) + a.
  Prefix: sam
  Root: sṛ (class 1)
• āḍambara – pomp, display, ostentation, illusion, spectacle
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of 'sthitam'.

तावत् (tāvat) - for that long (so long, up to that extent)

(indeclinable)

Correlative with 'yāvat'.

अन्धकार-उपमम् (andhakāra-upamam) - like darkness (like darkness, resembling darkness)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of andhakāra-upama

andhakāra-upama - resembling darkness, similar to darkness

Tatpurusha compound: andhakāra (darkness) + upama (comparison, likeness).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (andhakāra+upama)

• andhakāra – darkness, gloom, ignorance
  noun (masculine)
• upama – comparison, resemblance, simile, likeness
  noun (feminine)

Note: Agrees with saṃsāra-āḍambaram.

स्थितम् (sthitam) - remains, is present (situated, standing, existing, remaining)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sthita

sthita - standing, situated, existing, remaining, firm

Past Passive Participle

From root sthā (to stand) + kta suffix.

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Functions as a verb 'remains'.