योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-45, verse-38

यदसत्तदसत्स्याच्चेन्न किं कस्य किल क्षतम् ।
ततो हर्षविषादानां संसारे नाम नास्पदम् ॥ ३८ ॥

yadasattadasatsyāccenna kiṃ kasya kila kṣatam ,
tato harṣaviṣādānāṃ saṃsāre nāma nāspadam 38

38. yat asat tat asat syāt cet na kim kasya kila kṣatam
tataḥ harṣaviṣādānām saṃsāre nāma na āspadam

38. cet yat asat tat asat syāt,
kim kasya kila kṣatam na? tataḥ saṃsāre harṣaviṣādānām nāma na āspadam

38. If that which is unreal is indeed unreal, then what harm could truly befall anyone? Consequently, in this cycle of existence (saṃsāra), there is no basis for joy or sorrow.

Words meanings summery:

• यत् (yat) - that which (referring to the unreal) (that which, what)

• असत् (asat) - unreal (referring to the illusory nature of things) (non-existent, unreal, bad)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring back to 'yat asat') (that)

• असत् (asat) - unreal (as a predicate, emphasizing its unreality) (non-existent, unreal)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be (potential/conditional mood) (may be, would be, should be)

• चेत् (cet) - if (introducing a conditional clause) (if)

• न (na) - not

• किम् (kim) - what (introducing a rhetorical question) (what, why)

• कस्य (kasya) - of whom (referring to the one affected by harm) (of whom, whose)

• किल (kila) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, certainly, forsooth)

• क्षतम् (kṣatam) - harm (that which is inflicted) (harm, injury, wound, loss)

• ततः (tataḥ) - therefore (indicating a conclusion) (therefore, thence, from that)

• हर्षविषादानाम् (harṣaviṣādānām) - of joys and sorrows (the emotions in question) (of joys and sorrows)

• संसारे (saṁsāre) - in the cycle of existence (saṃsāra) (in the cycle of existence, in the world)

• नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizing the lack of basis) (indeed, by name, forsooth)

• न (na) - not

• आस्पदम् (āspadam) - basis (for emotions) (place, abode, basis, scope)

Words meanings and morphology

यत् (yat) - that which (referring to the unreal) (that which, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that which

Note: Refers to 'asat'.

असत् (asat) - unreal (referring to the illusory nature of things) (non-existent, unreal, bad)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, false, bad

Present Active Participle

Negative particle 'a-' + present participle of root 'as' (to be).

Compound type : nah-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• sat – being, existing, real, good
  adjective
  Present Active Participle
  From root 'as' (to be) + suffix 'śatṛ'.
  Root: as (class 0)

तत् (tat) - that (referring back to 'yat asat') (that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

असत् (asat) - unreal (as a predicate, emphasizing its unreality) (non-existent, unreal)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, false, bad

Present Active Participle

Negative particle 'a-' + present participle of root 'as' (to be).

Compound type : nah-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• sat – being, existing, real, good
  adjective
  Present Active Participle
  From root 'as' (to be) + suffix 'śatṛ'.
  Root: as (class 0)

Note: Acts as predicate in the conditional clause.

स्यात् (syāt) - would be (potential/conditional mood) (may be, would be, should be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of as

Optative Mood

3rd person singular optative of root 'as'.

Root: as (class 0)

चेत् (cet) - if (introducing a conditional clause) (if)

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Used with 'kim' for rhetorical question 'what not?'.

किम् (kim) - what (introducing a rhetorical question) (what, why)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which, why

Interrogative pronoun.

Note: Serves as the subject of the rhetorical question.

कस्य (kasya) - of whom (referring to the one affected by harm) (of whom, whose)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun.

Note: Indicates possession or relation to the 'kṣatam'.

किल (kila) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, certainly, forsooth)

(indeclinable)

क्षतम् (kṣatam) - harm (that which is inflicted) (harm, injury, wound, loss)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṣata

kṣata - harmed, injured, wounded; harm, injury, wound

Past Passive Participle

From root 'kṣaṇ' (to hurt, injure) + suffix 'kta'. Can function as a noun.

Root: kṣaṇ (class 0)

Note: Serves as the predicate of the rhetorical question.

ततः (tataḥ) - therefore (indicating a conclusion) (therefore, thence, from that)

(indeclinable)

Formed from pronominal stem 'ta-' + suffix '-tas'.

हर्षविषादानाम् (harṣaviṣādānām) - of joys and sorrows (the emotions in question) (of joys and sorrows)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of harṣaviṣāda

harṣaviṣāda - joy and sorrow

Dvanda compound.

Compound type : dvandva (harṣa+viṣāda)

• harṣa – joy, delight, pleasure
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'hṛṣ' (to be glad) + suffix 'ghañ'.
  Root: hṛṣ (class 0)
• viṣāda – sorrow, dejection, despondency
  noun (masculine)
  From prefix 'vi' + root 'sad' (to sink) + suffix 'ghañ'.
  Prefix: vi
  Root: sad (class 0)

संसारे (saṁsāre) - in the cycle of existence (saṃsāra) (in the cycle of existence, in the world)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃsāra

saṁsāra - cycle of existence, transmigration, world

From 'saṃ' (together) + root 'sṛ' (to flow) + suffix 'ghañ'.

Prefix: sam

Root: sṛ (class 0)

नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizing the lack of basis) (indeed, by name, forsooth)

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'āspadam'.

आस्पदम् (āspadam) - basis (for emotions) (place, abode, basis, scope)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of āspada

āspada - place, abode, seat, subject, scope, basis

From prefix 'ā' + root 'sad' (to sit) + suffix 'a'.

Prefix: ā

Root: sad (class 0)

Note: Serves as the predicate of the second clause.