योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-45, verse-39

असदेव यदत्यन्तं तस्मात्किं नाम नश्यति ।
नाशाभावे हि दुःखस्य कः प्रसङ्गो महामते ॥ ३९ ॥

asadeva yadatyantaṃ tasmātkiṃ nāma naśyati ,
nāśābhāve hi duḥkhasya kaḥ prasaṅgo mahāmate 39

39. asat eva yat atyantam tasmāt kim nāma naśyati
nāśa abhāve hi duḥkhasya kaḥ prasaṅgaḥ mahāmate

39. yat atyantam asat eva,
tasmāt kim nāma naśyati? hi nāśa abhāve duḥkhasya kaḥ prasaṅgaḥ mahāmate

39. That which is utterly unreal, what indeed can be destroyed of it? For, O great-minded one, when there is no destruction, what scope is there for sorrow?

Words meanings summery:

• असत् (asat) - unreal (referring to what is ultimately illusory) (non-existent, unreal)

• एव (eva) - indeed (emphasizing the unreality) (indeed, only, just)

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

• अत्यन्तम् (atyantam) - utterly (modifying the unreality) (utterly, completely, extremely)

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - from that (source of the unreality) (therefore, from that)

• किम् (kim) - what (as in 'what thing is lost?') (what)

• नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, by name, forsooth)

• नश्यति (naśyati) - is lost (referring to what ceases to exist) (perishes, is lost, disappears)

• नाश (nāśa) - destruction

• अभावे (abhāve) - in the absence

• हि (hi) - for (introducing a reason or explanation) (for, indeed, because)

• दुःखस्य (duḥkhasya) - of sorrow (the emotion) (of sorrow, of suffering)

• कः (kaḥ) - what (as in 'what kind of occasion?') (who, what)

• प्रसङ्गः (prasaṅgaḥ) - occasion (for sorrow) (occasion, connection, attachment, scope)

• महामते (mahāmate) - O great-minded one

Words meanings and morphology

असत् (asat) - unreal (referring to what is ultimately illusory) (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: Predicate noun for 'yat'.

एव (eva) - indeed (emphasizing the unreality) (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

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

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that which

Note: Subject of the clause.

अत्यन्तम् (atyantam) - utterly (modifying the unreality) (utterly, completely, extremely)

(indeclinable)

Compound of 'ati' (over) + 'anta' (end).

Compound type : avyayībhāva (ati+anta)

• ati – over, beyond, very
  indeclinable
  Prefix/preposition.
• anta – end, limit, boundary
  noun (masculine)

Note: Adverbial form of 'atyanta'.

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - from that (source of the unreality) (therefore, from that)

(pronoun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Indicates the source or cause ('from that [unreal thing]').

किम् (kim) - what (as in 'what thing is lost?') (what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which, why

Interrogative pronoun.

Note: Subject of the question.

नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, by name, forsooth)

(indeclinable)

नश्यति (naśyati) - is lost (referring to what ceases to exist) (perishes, is lost, disappears)

(verb)

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

Present Active

3rd person singular present active of root 'naś'.

Root: naś (class 0)

नाश (nāśa) - destruction

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nāśa

nāśa - destruction, loss, ruin

From root 'naś' (to perish) + suffix 'ghañ'.

Root: naś (class 0)

अभावे (abhāve) - in the absence

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of abhāva

abhāva - absence, non-existence, annihilation

Negative particle 'a-' + root 'bhū' (to be) + suffix 'ghañ'.

Compound type : nah-tatpuruṣa (a+bhāva)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• bhāva – being, existence, state, condition, nature
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'bhū' (to be) + suffix 'ghañ'.
  Root: bhū (class 0)

हि (hi) - for (introducing a reason or explanation) (for, indeed, because)

(indeclinable)

दुःखस्य (duḥkhasya) - of sorrow (the emotion) (of sorrow, of suffering)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of duḥkha

duḥkha - sorrow, pain, suffering, misery

Often contrasted with 'sukha' (joy).

कः (kaḥ) - what (as in 'what kind of occasion?') (who, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun.

Note: Agrees with 'prasaṅgaḥ'.

प्रसङ्गः (prasaṅgaḥ) - occasion (for sorrow) (occasion, connection, attachment, scope)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prasaṅga

prasaṅga - occasion, scope, connection, attachment, context

From prefix 'pra' + root 'sañj' (to cling to) + suffix 'ghañ'.

Prefix: pra

Root: sañj (class 0)

महामते (mahāmate) - O great-minded one

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahāmat

mahāmat - great-minded, intelligent, wise person

Bahuvrīhi compound 'mahā' (great) + 'mati' (mind).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahā+mati)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• mati – mind, intellect, thought, wisdom
  noun (feminine)
  From root 'man' (to think) + suffix 'kti'.
  Root: man (class 0)