योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-56, verse-17

सर्वकर्ताप्यकर्तेव करोत्यात्मा न किंचन ।
तिष्ठत्येवमुदासीन आलोकं प्रति दीपवत् ॥ १७ ॥

sarvakartāpyakarteva karotyātmā na kiṃcana ,
tiṣṭhatyevamudāsīna ālokaṃ prati dīpavat 17

17. sarvakartā api akartā iva karoti ātmā na kiṃcana
| tiṣṭhati evam udāsīnaḥ ālokam prati dīpavat ||

17. ātmā sarvakartā api akartā iva kiṃcana na karoti
evam udāsīnaḥ ālokam prati dīpavat tiṣṭhati

17. Even though the (ātman) is the universal agent, it acts as if it were not an agent and does nothing. It remains thus, detached, just like a lamp in relation to its light.

Words meanings summery:

• सर्वकर्ता (sarvakartā) - the universal agent or doer of everything (the doer of all, the creator of all)

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• अकर्ता (akartā) - non-agent (non-doer, non-agent)

• इव (iva) - like, as if (like, as, as if)

• करोति (karoti) - does, acts (does, makes, performs)

• आत्मा (ātmā) - the (ātman) (the self (ātman), soul, spirit)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• किंचन (kiṁcana) - anything (with negation, 'nothing') (anything, something)

• तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains (stands, remains, stays)

• एवम् (evam) - thus, in this way (thus, in this manner)

• उदासीनः (udāsīnaḥ) - detached, indifferent (indifferent, detached, neutral)

• आलोकम् (ālokam) - light (light, illumination, perception)

• प्रति (prati) - in relation to (towards, regarding, in relation to, against)

• दीपवत् (dīpavat) - like a lamp (like a lamp, lamp-like)

Words meanings and morphology

सर्वकर्ता (sarvakartā) - the universal agent or doer of everything (the doer of all, the creator of all)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarvakartṛ

sarvakartṛ - doer of all, creator of all

Agent noun (kartṛ)

Compound of 'sarva' and 'kartṛ' (from root kṛ-)

Compound type : tatpurusha (sarva+kartṛ)

• sarva – all, every, universal
  adjective
• kartṛ – doer, agent, creator
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun
  From root kṛ- (to do, to make)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Predicate nominative for 'ātmā'.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

Particle

अकर्ता (akartā) - non-agent (non-doer, non-agent)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of akartṛ

akartṛ - non-doer, non-agent

Compound of 'a' (negation) and 'kartṛ'

Compound type : avyayībhāva (a+kartṛ)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• kartṛ – doer, agent, creator
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun
  From root kṛ- (to do, to make)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Predicate nominative, describing 'ātmā'.

इव (iva) - like, as if (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison

करोति (karoti) - does, acts (does, makes, performs)

(verb)

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

Present Tense, Parasmaipada

Class 8 verb

Root: kṛ (class 8)

आत्मा (ātmā) - the (ātman) (the self (ātman), soul, spirit)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, individual (ātman), essential nature

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Subject of the verbs 'karoti' and 'tiṣṭhati'.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

किंचन (kiṁcana) - anything (with negation, 'nothing') (anything, something)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kiṃcana

kiṁcana - anything, something (when used with a negative, it means 'nothing')

Indefinite pronoun; formed from 'kim' and 'cana'.

Note: Direct object of 'karoti' (combined with 'na' means 'nothing').

तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains (stands, remains, stays)

(verb)

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

Present Tense, Parasmaipada

Class 1 verb (with reduplication and nasal infix)

Root: sthā (class 1)

एवम् (evam) - thus, in this way (thus, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

Demonstrative adverb

उदासीनः (udāsīnaḥ) - detached, indifferent (indifferent, detached, neutral)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of udāsīna

udāsīna - indifferent, detached, neutral, unconcerned

Past Passive Participle-like formation

From 'ud' (upasarga) + root 'ās' (to sit, remain)

Prefix: ud

Root: ās (class 2)

Note: Describes the state of the 'ātman'.

आलोकम् (ālokam) - light (light, illumination, perception)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of āloka

āloka - light, illumination, sight, vision, perception

From 'ā' (upasarga) + root 'lok' (to see, shine)

Prefix: ā

Root: lok (class 10)

Note: Object of 'prati'.

प्रति (prati) - in relation to (towards, regarding, in relation to, against)

(indeclinable)

Preposition governing the accusative.

दीपवत् (dīpavat) - like a lamp (like a lamp, lamp-like)

(indeclinable)

From 'dīpa' + suffix '-vat' (like, resembling)

Note: Adverbial comparison.