योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-31, verse-1

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
अतः प्रबोधाय तव वच्मि राम महामते ।
दामव्यालकटन्यायो मा तेऽस्त्विति तु लीलया ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca ,
ataḥ prabodhāya tava vacmi rāma mahāmate ,
dāmavyālakaṭanyāyo mā te'stviti tu līlayā 1

1. śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ uvāca ataḥ prabodhāya tava vacmi rāma
mahāmate dāmavyālakaṭanyāyaḥ mā te astu iti tu līlayā

1. śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ uvāca.
rāma mahāmate,
ataḥ tava prabodhāya (aham) vacmi (yathā) te dāmavyālakaṭanyāyaḥ līlayā tu mā astu iti.

1. Śrī Vasiṣṭha said: "Therefore, O great-minded Rama, for your awakening, I shall speak to you, so that the mistake of mistaking a rope for a serpent does not befall you, not even inadvertently."

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीवसिष्ठः (śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ) - Refers to the sage Vasiṣṭha, the speaker in the Yoga-Vasiṣṭha text. (The venerable Vasiṣṭha)

• उवाच (uvāca) - Standard introductory phrase for a speaker. (said, spoke)

• अतः (ataḥ) - Introduces the reason for Vasiṣṭha's teaching (to prevent Rama from falling into illusion). (therefore, hence, from this)

• प्रबोधाय (prabodhāya) - The purpose of Vasiṣṭha's teaching. (for awakening, for enlightenment)

• तव (tava) - Refers to Rama. (your, to you)

• वच्मि (vacmi) - Vasiṣṭha's direct statement. (I speak, I tell)

• राम (rāma) - Addressing Prince Rama. (O Rama)

• महामते (mahāmate) - An epithet for Rama, recognizing his intellectual and spiritual capacity. (O great-minded one, O wise one)

• दामव्यालकटन्यायः (dāmavyālakaṭanyāyaḥ) - The principle of mistaking a rope for a snake, and then dispelling that illusion. The nyāya is about misperception and its remedy. (the analogy of the rope-serpent-cutter, the maxim regarding the rope and snake and its cutting)

• मा (mā) - Prohibits the nyāya from applying. (not, do not)

• ते (te) - Refers to Rama. (to you, for you)

• अस्तु (astu) - Used with mā for prohibition. "May it not be." (may it be, let it be)

• इति (iti) - Connects the preceding clause to the purpose of Vasiṣṭha's speech. (thus, in this manner, 'that' (introducing a quote or thought))

• तु (tu) - Emphasizes the casualness, or contrasts the instruction with potential casualness. (but, indeed, however)

• लीलया (līlayā) - Suggests that the illusion should not arise even unintentionally or through carelessness. (playfully, sportively, easily, by habit, inadvertently)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीवसिष्ठः (śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ) - Refers to the sage Vasiṣṭha, the speaker in the Yoga-Vasiṣṭha text. (The venerable Vasiṣṭha)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīvasiṣṭha

śrīvasiṣṭha - Venerable Vasiṣṭha

Compound of śrī (venerable, glorious) + vasiṣṭha (name of a sage).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (śrī+vasiṣṭha)

• śrī – glory, prosperity, venerable, divine
  indeclinable
  Root: śrī (class 2)
• vasiṣṭha – Vasiṣṭha (name of a Vedic sage, one of the Saptarṣis)
  proper noun (masculine)
  Superlative of vasu (good), meaning 'most excellent'.
  Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - Standard introductory phrase for a speaker. (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of uvāca

Perfect, Active Voice (Lit.)

From root vac (to speak, tell). 3rd person singular, perfect tense.

Root: vac (class 2)

अतः (ataḥ) - Introduces the reason for Vasiṣṭha's teaching (to prevent Rama from falling into illusion). (therefore, hence, from this)

(indeclinable)

Avyaya formed with suffix -tas.

प्रबोधाय (prabodhāya) - The purpose of Vasiṣṭha's teaching. (for awakening, for enlightenment)

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of prabodha

prabodha - awakening, enlightenment, knowledge, consciousness

From pra- + root budh (to awaken, know).

Prefix: pra

Root: budh (class 1)

Note: Indicates purpose.

तव (tava) - Refers to Rama. (your, to you)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (pronoun)

2nd person pronoun.

Note: Dative sense 'for you'.

वच्मि (vacmi) - Vasiṣṭha's direct statement. (I speak, I tell)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of vac

Present, Active Voice

From root vac (to speak). 1st person singular, present tense.

Root: vac (class 2)

राम (rāma) - Addressing Prince Rama. (O Rama)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rāma

rāma - Rama (name of a king, a deity), pleasing, charming

Root: ram (class 1)

महामते (mahāmate) - An epithet for Rama, recognizing his intellectual and spiritual capacity. (O great-minded one, O wise one)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahāmat

mahāmat - great-minded, intelligent, wise

Compound: mahā (great) + mati (mind, intelligence).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahā+mati)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
  Feminine stem of mahat. Used as first part of compounds.
• mati – mind, intelligence, thought, understanding
  noun (feminine)
  From root man (to think).
  Root: man (class 4)

Note: Qualifies Rama.

दामव्यालकटन्यायः (dāmavyālakaṭanyāyaḥ) - The principle of mistaking a rope for a snake, and then dispelling that illusion. The nyāya is about misperception and its remedy. (the analogy of the rope-serpent-cutter, the maxim regarding the rope and snake and its cutting)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dāmavyālakaṭanyāya

dāmavyālakaṭanyāya - the maxim of the rope-snake-cutter, the analogy of the rope, snake, and cutting (of the illusion)

Compound: dāma (rope) + vyāla (snake) + kaṭa (cutting/cutter/mat) + nyāya (maxim, analogy). This is a complex compound. The dāma-vyāla (rope-snake) is a common analogy for illusion. The kaṭa part is ambiguous; if it means 'cutting', it might refer to the removal of the illusion.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dāma+vyāla+kaṭa+nyāya)

• dāma – rope, cord, garland, chain
  noun (neuter)
  From root dā (to bind).
  Root: dā (class 1)
• vyāla – snake, serpent, dangerous animal
  noun (masculine)
  From root vil (to move to and fro) or vyā (to spread).
  Root: vil (class 1)
• kaṭa – mat, straw mat, elephant's temple, a kind of trap, cutting (from kaṭana)
  noun (masculine)
  Root kaṭ (to cut, to be confused).
  Root: kaṭ (class 1)
• nyāya – rule, method, system, analogy, maxim, logic
  noun (masculine)
  From ni- + root i (to go, move).
  Prefix: ni
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Subject of astu.

मा (mā) - Prohibits the nyāya from applying. (not, do not)

(indeclinable)

Particle used with injunctive/imperative for prohibition.

Note: Precedes astu.

ते (te) - Refers to Rama. (to you, for you)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (pronoun)

2nd person pronoun.

Note: Dative of interest, 'for you'.

अस्तु (astu) - Used with mā for prohibition. "May it not be." (may it be, let it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of as

Imperative, Active Voice

From root as (to be). 3rd person singular imperative.

Root: as (class 2)

इति (iti) - Connects the preceding clause to the purpose of Vasiṣṭha's speech. (thus, in this manner, 'that' (introducing a quote or thought))

(indeclinable)

Quotation or purpose marker.

तु (tu) - Emphasizes the casualness, or contrasts the instruction with potential casualness. (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction/emphatic particle.

लीलया (līlayā) - Suggests that the illusion should not arise even unintentionally or through carelessness. (playfully, sportively, easily, by habit, inadvertently)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of līlā

līlā - play, sport, amusement, ease, grace, habit

From root lī (to cling, melt).

Root: lī (class 4)