योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-3, verse-5

श्रीराम उवाच ।
न संभवति किं ब्रह्मन्सर्गादौ प्राक्तनी स्मृतिः ।
महाप्रलयसंमोहैर्नश्यति प्राक्स्मृतिः कथम् ॥ ५ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
na saṃbhavati kiṃ brahmansargādau prāktanī smṛtiḥ ,
mahāpralayasaṃmohairnaśyati prāksmṛtiḥ katham 5

5. śrīrāma uvāca na saṃbhavati kim brahman sargādau prāktanī
smṛtiḥ mahāpralayasaṃmohaiḥ naśyati prāk-smṛtiḥ katham

5. śrīrāma uvāca brahman,
sargādau prāktanī smṛtiḥ na kim saṃbhavati? mahāpralayasaṃmohaiḥ prāk-smṛtiḥ katham naśyati?

5. Śrī Rāma said: "O Brahmin (Vasiṣṭha), is it that prior (prāktanī) memory (smṛti) is not possible at the beginning of creation? How is prior memory destroyed by the great delusions (saṃmoha) of the cosmic dissolution?"

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Prince Rāma (the interlocutor) (Śrī Rāma)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• संभवति (saṁbhavati) - is possible (is possible, arises, exists)

• किम् (kim) - (interrogative particle implying 'is it that?') (what, whether, interrogative particle)

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahmin (addressing Vasiṣṭha) (O Brahmin, O learned one)

• सर्गादौ (sargādau) - at the start of a new creation cycle (at the beginning of creation)

• प्राक्तनी (prāktanī) - prior (to the dissolution) (prior, former, ancient, pre-existing)

• स्मृतिः (smṛtiḥ) - memory (smṛti) (memory, recollection (smṛti))

• महाप्रलयसंमोहैः (mahāpralayasaṁmohaiḥ) - by the great bewildering effects of the cosmic dissolution (by the great delusions of dissolution)

• नश्यति (naśyati) - is destroyed, disappears (is destroyed, perishes, disappears)

• प्राक्-स्मृतिः (prāk-smṛtiḥ) - memory from a previous cycle of existence (prior memory, previous memory)

• कथम् (katham) - how (is it possible for it to be destroyed) (how, in what manner)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Prince Rāma (the interlocutor) (Śrī Rāma)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - The revered Rāma, a proper name

Compound type : karmadhāraya (śrī+rāma)

• śrī – prosperity, glory, beauty, revered
  noun (feminine)
• rāma – a proper name, name of the king of Ayodhya
  proper noun (masculine)
  Root: ram (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

perfect active

irregular perfect form of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

negative particle

संभवति (saṁbhavati) - is possible (is possible, arises, exists)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of saṃbhū

present active

present indicative form

Prefix: sam

Root: bhū (class 1)

किम् (kim) - (interrogative particle implying 'is it that?') (what, whether, interrogative particle)

(indeclinable)

interrogative particle

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahmin (addressing Vasiṣṭha) (O Brahmin, O learned one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - a Brahmin, a sage, the Absolute (brahman)

Root: bṛh (class 1)

सर्गादौ (sargādau) - at the start of a new creation cycle (at the beginning of creation)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of sargādi

sargādi - beginning of creation

compound noun

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sarga+ādi)

• sarga – creation, emanation
  noun (masculine)
  from sṛj
  Root: sṛj (class 6)
• ādi – beginning, commencement
  noun (masculine)

प्राक्तनी (prāktanī) - prior (to the dissolution) (prior, former, ancient, pre-existing)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prāktana

prāktana - prior, former, ancient, pertaining to the past

suffix -tana indicating 'old' or 'previous'

Note: Agrees with `smṛtiḥ`.

स्मृतिः (smṛtiḥ) - memory (smṛti) (memory, recollection (smṛti))

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of smṛti

smṛti - memory, recollection, tradition, a code of law (smṛti)

from smṛ

Root: smṛ (class 1)

महाप्रलयसंमोहैः (mahāpralayasaṁmohaiḥ) - by the great bewildering effects of the cosmic dissolution (by the great delusions of dissolution)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of mahāpralayasaṃmoha

mahāpralayasaṁmoha - great delusion/bewilderment of dissolution

compound noun

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mahāpralaya+saṃmoha)

• mahāpralaya – great dissolution, cosmic dissolution
  noun (masculine)
  compound
• saṃmoha – delusion, bewilderment, infatuation (saṃmoha)
  noun (masculine)
  from sam-muh
  Prefix: sam
  Root: muh (class 4)

Note: Instrumental case indicates the means or agent.

नश्यति (naśyati) - is destroyed, disappears (is destroyed, perishes, disappears)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of naś

present active

present indicative form

Root: naś (class 4)

प्राक्-स्मृतिः (prāk-smṛtiḥ) - memory from a previous cycle of existence (prior memory, previous memory)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prāk-smṛti

prāk-smṛti - prior memory, previous recollection

compound noun

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (prāk+smṛti)

• prāk – before, prior, ancient
  indeclinable
  adverbial prefix
• smṛti – memory, recollection (smṛti)
  noun (feminine)
  from smṛ
  Root: smṛ (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how (is it possible for it to be destroyed) (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

interrogative adverb