योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-41, verse-18

अहो नु खलु चित्रेयं माया संसारबन्धनी ।
असत्येवातिसत्येव स्वज्ञानं विहितं तया ॥ १८ ॥

aho nu khalu citreyaṃ māyā saṃsārabandhanī ,
asatyevātisatyeva svajñānaṃ vihitaṃ tayā 18

18. aho nu khalu citrā iyam māyā saṃsārabandhanī
asatyā iva atisatyā iva svajñānam vihitam tayā

18. aho nu khalu iyam citrā māyā saṃsārabandhanī
asatyā iva atisatyā iva tayā svajñānam vihitam

18. Oh, indeed, this astonishing illusion (māyā) binds one to the cycle of rebirth (saṃsāra). Although it appears unreal, it also appears extremely real, and by it, one's own knowledge (svajñāna) is (thus) constituted.

Words meanings summery:

• अहो (aho) - Oh!, Ah!, Alas!

• नु (nu) - indeed, now, then, certainly, surely

• खलु (khalu) - indeed, certainly, surely, truly

• चित्रा (citrā) - wonderful, astonishing, strange, variegated

• इयम् (iyam) - this (feminine)

• माया (māyā) - illusion, cosmic illusion, magical power

• संसारबन्धनी (saṁsārabandhanī) - binding to the cycle of rebirth

• असत्या (asatyā) - unreal, untrue, false

• इव (iva) - like, as if, as it were

• अतिसत्या (atisatyā) - extremely real, very true

• इव (iva) - like, as if, as it were

• स्वज्ञानम् (svajñānam) - self-knowledge, one's own knowledge

• विहितम् (vihitam) - made, arranged, constituted, established, ordained

• तया (tayā) - by māyā (by her, by that (feminine))

Words meanings and morphology

अहो (aho) - Oh!, Ah!, Alas!

(indeclinable)

नु (nu) - indeed, now, then, certainly, surely

(indeclinable)

खलु (khalu) - indeed, certainly, surely, truly

(indeclinable)

चित्रा (citrā) - wonderful, astonishing, strange, variegated

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of citra

citra - distinguished, excellent, bright, clear, variegated, manifold, wonderful, strange, astonishing

इयम् (iyam) - this (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one, here

माया (māyā) - illusion, cosmic illusion, magical power

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of māyā

māyā - illusion, delusion, fraud, trick, magical power, art, supernatural power, the cosmic illusion (māyā) that makes the phenomenal world appear real

संसारबन्धनी (saṁsārabandhanī) - binding to the cycle of rebirth

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of saṃsārabandhanī

saṁsārabandhanī - that which binds to saṃsāra, the fetter of saṃsāra

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (saṃsāra+bandhanī)

• saṃsāra – the transmigration of the soul, cycle of rebirth, worldly existence
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: sṛ (class 1)
• bandhanī – binding, fettering, a bond, a fetter
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root bandh (to bind) with suffix -anī
  Root: bandh (class 9)

असत्या (asatyā) - unreal, untrue, false

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of asatya

asatya - unreal, untrue, false, non-existent

इव (iva) - like, as if, as it were

(indeclinable)

अतिसत्या (atisatyā) - extremely real, very true

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of atisatya

atisatya - very true, exceedingly real, extremely existent

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (ati+satya)

• ati – over, beyond, exceeding, very, too much
  indeclinable
• satya – true, real, existing, good, virtuous
  adjective (masculine)

इव (iva) - like, as if, as it were

(indeclinable)

स्वज्ञानम् (svajñānam) - self-knowledge, one's own knowledge

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of svajñāna

svajñāna - self-knowledge, one's own knowledge

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (sva+jñāna)

• sva – one's own, self, own property
  pronoun (masculine)
• jñāna – knowledge, wisdom, cognition
  noun (neuter)
  Root: jñā (class 9)

विहितम् (vihitam) - made, arranged, constituted, established, ordained

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vihita

vihita - arranged, placed, made, done, constituted, established, ordained, prescribed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root dhā with prefix vi

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)

तया (tayā) - by māyā (by her, by that (feminine))

(pronoun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, it

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