योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-35, verse-42

मनो निर्मलतां यातं शुभसंतानवारिभिः ।
ब्राह्मीं दृष्टिमुपादत्ते रागं शुक्लपटो यथा ॥ ४२ ॥

mano nirmalatāṃ yātaṃ śubhasaṃtānavāribhiḥ ,
brāhmīṃ dṛṣṭimupādatte rāgaṃ śuklapaṭo yathā 42

42. manaḥ nirmalatām yātam śubha-santāna-vāribhiḥ
brāhmīm dṛṣṭim upādatte rāgam śukla-paṭaḥ yathā

42. yathā śukla-paṭaḥ rāgam upādatte [tathā] manaḥ
śubha-santāna-vāribhiḥ nirmalatām yātam brāhmīm dṛṣṭim upādatte

42. Just as a white cloth absorbs a dye (rāgam), so too the mind, having attained purity through the waters of virtuous tradition (or auspicious streams of thought), acquires the vision of brahman (brāhmī dṛṣṭi).

Words meanings summery:

• मनः (manaḥ) - mind, intellect

• निर्मलताम् (nirmalatām) - to purity, cleanness, spotlessness

• यातम् (yātam) - having gone, having attained, having reached

• शुभ-सन्तान-वारिभिः (śubha-santāna-vāribhiḥ) - by the waters of auspicious continuity/progeny/streams

• ब्राह्मीम् (brāhmīm) - divine, relating to brahman (feminine accusative singular)

• दृष्टिम् (dṛṣṭim) - vision, insight, view

• उपादत्ते (upādatte) - takes on, acquires, obtains

• रागम् (rāgam) - color, dye (in the context of the simile) (color, dye, passion, attachment)

• शुक्ल-पटः (śukla-paṭaḥ) - white cloth

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, in which way

Words meanings and morphology

मनः (manaḥ) - mind, intellect

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of manas

manas - mind, intellect, understanding, thought, inner sense

Derived from root 'man' (to think).

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Subject of the main clause.

निर्मलताम् (nirmalatām) - to purity, cleanness, spotlessness

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nirmalatā

nirmalatā - purity, clearness, spotlessness, immaculateness

From 'nirmala' (pure) + '-tā' (abstract noun suffix).

Note: Object of the action 'yātam'.

यातम् (yātam) - having gone, having attained, having reached

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yāta

yāta - gone, arrived, attained, reached, obtained

Past Passive Participle

From root 'yā' (to go, move, proceed).

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'manaḥ'.

शुभ-सन्तान-वारिभिः (śubha-santāna-vāribhiḥ) - by the waters of auspicious continuity/progeny/streams

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of śubhasantānavāri

śubhasantānavāri - waters of auspicious continuity/tradition/streams (metaphorical)

Compound: 'śubha' (auspicious) + 'santāna' (continuity/tradition/stream) + 'vāri' (water).

Compound type : tatpurusha (śubha+santāna+vāri)

• śubha – auspicious, good, pure, bright
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Root: śubh (class 1)
• santāna – continuity, unbroken succession, tradition, progeny, stream, flow
  noun (masculine/neuter)
  From root 'tan' (to stretch, extend) with upasarga 'sam' (with, together).
  Prefix: sam
  Root: tan (class 8)
• vāri – water
  noun (neuter)
  Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Indicates the means by which the mind attains purity.

ब्राह्मीम् (brāhmīm) - divine, relating to brahman (feminine accusative singular)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of brāhmī

brāhmī - relating to brahman, divine, sacred, brahminical, pertaining to the Absolute

Feminine form of 'brāhma' (derived from 'brahman').

Note: Qualifies 'dṛṣṭim'.

दृष्टिम् (dṛṣṭim) - vision, insight, view

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of dṛṣṭi

dṛṣṭi - vision, sight, view, insight, perception, understanding

Derived from root 'dṛś' (to see).

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Object of 'upādatte'.

उपादत्ते (upādatte) - takes on, acquires, obtains

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of upādā

present middle

From root 'dā' (to give) with upasargas 'upa' (towards, near) and 'ā' (towards, unto). Middle voice indicates 'taking for oneself'.

Prefixes: upa+ā

Root: dā (class 3)

रागम् (rāgam) - color, dye (in the context of the simile) (color, dye, passion, attachment)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of rāga

rāga - color, dye, hue; passion, affection, attachment, love

Derived from root 'rañj' (to color, dye).

Root: rañj (class 1)

Note: Object in the simile clause.

शुक्ल-पटः (śukla-paṭaḥ) - white cloth

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śuklapaṭa

śuklapaṭa - white cloth, white garment

Karmadharaya compound: 'śukla' (white) + 'paṭa' (cloth).

Compound type : karmadharaya (śukla+paṭa)

• śukla – white, bright, pure, clean
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Derived from root 'śuc' (to be bright, pure).
  Root: śuc (class 1)
• paṭa – cloth, garment, screen, fabric
  noun (masculine)
  Root: paṭ (class 1)

Note: Subject of the simile clause.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, in which way

(indeclinable)

Correlative particle, often paired with 'tathā' (so).

Note: Introduces the comparison.

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