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

श्रीराम उवाच ।
सतामप्यसतामेव बालयक्षपिशाचवत् ।
दामव्यालकटादीनां दुःखस्यान्तः कथं भवेत् ॥ १ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
satāmapyasatāmeva bālayakṣapiśācavat ,
dāmavyālakaṭādīnāṃ duḥkhasyāntaḥ kathaṃ bhavet 1

1. śrīrāma uvāca satām api asatām eva bāla-yakṣa-piśāca-vat
dāma-vyāla-kaṭa-ādīnām duḥkhasya antaḥ katham bhavet

1. śrīrāma uvāca.
bāla-yakṣa-piśāca-vat satām api asatām eva dāma-vyāla-kaṭa-ādīnām duḥkhasya antaḥ katham bhavet?

1. Śrī Rāma said: How can the suffering caused by (imagined) ropes, snakes, or pits, which afflicts even the virtuous and the non-virtuous alike, just as (illusory beings like) child-ghosts, yakṣas, or piśācas (afflict people), ever come to an end?

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Lord Rama, Rama

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the virtuous

• अपि (api) - even, also, too

• असताम् (asatām) - of the bad, of the non-virtuous

• एव (eva) - indeed, only

• बाल-यक्ष-पिशाच-वत् (bāla-yakṣa-piśāca-vat) - like imaginary or frightening beings perceived by children (like a child, yakṣa, or piśāca)

• दाम-व्याल-कट-आदीनाम् (dāma-vyāla-kaṭa-ādīnām) - of illusory fears/sources of suffering (of ropes, snakes, pits, and so forth)

• दुःखस्य (duḥkhasya) - of suffering, of pain

• अन्तः (antaḥ) - end, limit, conclusion

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• भवेत् (bhavet) - might be, should be, would be, may occur

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Lord Rama, Rama

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu

Compound of Śrī (auspicious, revered) and Rāma (name of the deity)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (śrī+rāma)

• śrī – radiance, beauty, prosperity, sacred; prefix of respect
  noun (feminine)
• rāma – Rama (name of a prominent deity in Hinduism)
  proper noun (masculine)

Note: The speaker of the verse.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the virtuous

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - good, virtuous, righteous, existing, real

Present Active Participle

From root as (to be)

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Refers to good people.

अपि (api) - even, also, too

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'even'.

असताम् (asatām) - of the bad, of the non-virtuous

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, bad, non-virtuous

Present Active Participle (negative)

Negative compound of na (not) and sat (existent/good)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (na+sat)

• na – not
  indeclinable
• sat – good, virtuous, righteous, existing
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  From root as (to be)
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Refers to bad people.

एव (eva) - indeed, only

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the inclusivity.

बाल-यक्ष-पिशाच-वत् (bāla-yakṣa-piśāca-vat) - like imaginary or frightening beings perceived by children (like a child, yakṣa, or piśāca)

(indeclinable)

Compound of bāla-yakṣa-piśāca (children, yakṣas, piśācas) with -vat (like)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bāla+yakṣa+piśāca+vat)

• bāla – child, young, foolish, innocent
  noun (masculine)
• yakṣa – a class of supernatural beings, guardians of treasures, sometimes benevolent, sometimes mischievous
  noun (masculine)
• piśāca – a type of demon or ghoulish being, flesh-eater
  noun (masculine)
• vat – like, as, similar to
  indeclinable
  Suffix -vat indicating similarity

Note: Acts as a simile.

दाम-व्याल-कट-आदीनाम् (dāma-vyāla-kaṭa-ādīnām) - of illusory fears/sources of suffering (of ropes, snakes, pits, and so forth)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dāma-vyāla-kaṭa-ādi

dāma-vyāla-kaṭa-ādi - ropes, snakes, pits, etc.

Compound of dāma (rope), vyāla (snake), kaṭa (pit), and ādi (beginning, etc.)

Compound type : dvandva (dāma+vyāla+kaṭa+ādi)

• dāma – rope, cord, string, garland
  noun (neuter)
• vyāla – snake, venomous animal, beast of prey
  noun (masculine)
• kaṭa – pit, hole, cavity, mat, heap
  noun (masculine)
• ādi – beginning, and so forth, etc.
  noun (masculine)

Note: of the suffering caused by these things.

दुःखस्य (duḥkhasya) - of suffering, of pain

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of duḥkha

duḥkha - suffering, pain, misery, sorrow, uneasiness

Note: of the suffering.

अन्तः (antaḥ) - end, limit, conclusion

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anta

anta - end, limit, conclusion, boundary, death

Note: Subject of the clause 'antaḥ katham bhavet'.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

भवेत् (bhavet) - might be, should be, would be, may occur

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Expresses possibility or request.

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