योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-45, verse-28

वस्तुन्यसति लोकोऽयं यातु काममवस्तुनि ।
यस्तु वस्तु परित्यज्य यात्यवस्तु स नश्यति ॥ २८ ॥

vastunyasati loko'yaṃ yātu kāmamavastuni ,
yastu vastu parityajya yātyavastu sa naśyati 28

28. vastuni asati lokaḥ ayam yātu kāmam avastuni
yaḥ tu vastu parityajya yāti avastu saḥ naśyati

28. vastuni asati ayam lokaḥ kāmam avastuni yātu
yaḥ tu vastu parityajya avastu yāti saḥ naśyati

28. When true reality (vastu) is not apparent, let this world pursue the unreal (avastu) as it wishes. But whoever abandons reality (vastu) and instead goes towards the unreal (avastu), that person perishes.

Words meanings summery:

• वस्तुनि (vastuni) - when true reality is (not present) (in reality, in substance, in a thing, when a thing is)

• असति (asati) - when not apparent/present (when not existing, when absent, when unreal)

• लोकः (lokaḥ) - this world or the people in it (world, people, mankind)

• अयम् (ayam) - this (masculine)

• यातु (yātu) - let it go, may it go

• कामम् (kāmam) - according to desire, willingly, as wished

• अवस्तुनि (avastuni) - into the unreal, in the unsubstantial

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which (relative pronoun)

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, indeed

• वस्तु (vastu) - reality, substance, thing

• परित्यज्य (parityajya) - having abandoned, having given up

• याति (yāti) - goes, proceeds

• अवस्तु (avastu) - unreal, unsubstantial, non-thing

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

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

Words meanings and morphology

वस्तुनि (vastuni) - when true reality is (not present) (in reality, in substance, in a thing, when a thing is)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vastu

vastu - substance, reality, thing, object, true state

Root: vas

असति (asati) - when not apparent/present (when not existing, when absent, when unreal)

(participle)

Locative, neuter, singular of asat

asat - not existing, absent, unreal, being not

Present Active Participle (negative)

Locative singular of asat (a + sat)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• sat – being, existing, real
  participle
  Present Active Participle
  From root 'as' (to be) + śatṛ suffix
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Forms a locative absolute construction with `vastuni`.

लोकः (lokaḥ) - this world or the people in it (world, people, mankind)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, people, region, space

Root: lok

अयम् (ayam) - this (masculine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this (demonstrative pronoun)

Nominative singular masculine of `idam`.

यातु (yātu) - let it go, may it go

(verb)

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

Imperative mood, 3rd person singular

Root yā, Parasmaipada, Present tense, Imperative

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Subject is `lokaḥ`.

कामम् (kāmam) - according to desire, willingly, as wished

(indeclinable)

Accusative singular of `kāma` used adverbially.

अवस्तुनि (avastuni) - into the unreal, in the unsubstantial

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of avastu

avastu - unreal, unsubstantial, non-thing

Compound: a (not) + vastu (substance/reality)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vastu)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• vastu – substance, reality, thing, object
  noun (neuter)

Note: Governed by `yātu`.

यः (yaḥ) - who, which (relative pronoun)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what (relative pronoun)

Nominative singular masculine of `yad`.

Note: Corresponds to `saḥ`.

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, indeed

(indeclinable)

Conjunction/particle.

वस्तु (vastu) - reality, substance, thing

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vastu

vastu - substance, reality, thing, object, true state

Nominative/Accusative singular neuter. Here, accusative.

Root: vas

परित्यज्य (parityajya) - having abandoned, having given up

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

From root tyaj + pari prefix + lyap suffix

Prefix: pari

Root: tyaj (class 1)

याति (yāti) - goes, proceeds

(verb)

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

Present tense, 3rd person singular

Root yā, Parasmaipada, Present tense

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Subject is `yaḥ`.

अवस्तु (avastu) - unreal, unsubstantial, non-thing

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of avastu

avastu - unreal, unsubstantial, non-thing, not a reality

Compound: a (not) + vastu (substance/reality)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vastu)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• vastu – substance, reality, thing, object
  noun (neuter)

Note: Refers to the object of pursuit after abandoning reality.

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - he, she, it, that (demonstrative pronoun)

Nominative singular masculine of `tad`.

Note: Subject of `naśyati`.

नश्यति (naśyati) - perishes, is destroyed, disappears

(verb)

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

Present tense, 3rd person singular

Root naś, Parasmaipada, Present tense

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: Subject is `saḥ`.