योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-15, verse-17

निपतत्यवटे मूढस्तृष्णामनुसरज्जनः ।
नीलामनुपतञ्छ्वभ्रतृणशाखां यथैणकः ॥ १७ ॥

nipatatyavaṭe mūḍhastṛṣṇāmanusarajjanaḥ ,
nīlāmanupatañchvabhratṛṇaśākhāṃ yathaiṇakaḥ 17

17. nipatati avaṭe mūḍhaḥ tṛṣṇām anusarat janaḥ
nīlām anupatat śvabhratṛṇaśākhām yathā eṇakaḥ

17. mūḍhaḥ janaḥ tṛṣṇām anusarat avaṭe nipatati
yathā eṇakaḥ nīlām śvabhratṛṇaśākhām anupatat

17. A foolish person, pursuing craving (tṛṣṇā), falls into a pit, just as a fawn, chasing a dark branch of grass (hanging over a chasm), falls into the chasm.

Words meanings summery:

• निपतति (nipatati) - falls into (a pit) (falls down, drops, alights)

• अवटे (avaṭe) - into a pit (in a pit, into a hole, in a chasm)

• मूढः (mūḍhaḥ) - a foolish person (foolish, ignorant, bewildered, dull)

• तृष्णाम् (tṛṣṇām) - craving (tṛṣṇā), as the object of pursuit (craving, thirst, desire, longing)

• अनुसरत् (anusarat) - following (craving) (following, pursuing, running after)

• जनः (janaḥ) - a person, an individual (person, man, people, creature)

• नीलाम् (nīlām) - dark, referring to the color of the grass-branch (blue, dark, green, black)

• अनुपतत् (anupatat) - following, pursuing (the grass-branch) (following, pursuing, falling after)

• श्वभ्रतृणशाखाम् (śvabhratṛṇaśākhām) - a dark grass-branch hanging over a chasm, which deceives the fawn (a grass-branch over a pit/chasm)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (introducing a comparison) (just as, as, according to)

• एणकः (eṇakaḥ) - a fawn (as the subject of the comparison) (a young deer, fawn, antelope)

Words meanings and morphology

निपतति (nipatati) - falls into (a pit) (falls down, drops, alights)

(verb)

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

Present Active

Root `pat` with prefix `ni`.

Prefix: ni

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: The subject is `janaḥ` (and `eṇakaḥ` by implication).

अवटे (avaṭe) - into a pit (in a pit, into a hole, in a chasm)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of avaṭa

avaṭa - pit, well, hole, chasm

Note: Indicates location into which one falls.

मूढः (mūḍhaḥ) - a foolish person (foolish, ignorant, bewildered, dull)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mūḍha

mūḍha - foolish, ignorant, bewildered, confused, dull-witted

Past Passive Participle

From root `muh` (to be confused, bewildered).

Root: muh (class 4)

Note: Adjective modifying `janaḥ`.

तृष्णाम् (tṛṣṇām) - craving (tṛṣṇā), as the object of pursuit (craving, thirst, desire, longing)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tṛṣṇā

tṛṣṇā - craving, thirst, desire, longing, avidity

From root `tṛṣ` (to thirst).

Root: tṛṣ (class 4)

Note: Object of the participle `anusarat`.

अनुसरत् (anusarat) - following (craving) (following, pursuing, running after)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anusarat

anusarat - following, pursuing, attending, going after

Present Active Participle

From root `sṛ` (to go) with prefix `anu`.

Prefix: anu

Root: sṛ (class 1)

Note: Modifies `janaḥ`.

जनः (janaḥ) - a person, an individual (person, man, people, creature)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jana

jana - person, man, people, creature, individual

From root `jan` (to be born).

Root: jan (class 4)

नीलाम् (nīlām) - dark, referring to the color of the grass-branch (blue, dark, green, black)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nīla

nīla - blue, dark, green, black, dark-colored

अनुपतत् (anupatat) - following, pursuing (the grass-branch) (following, pursuing, falling after)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anupatat

anupatat - following, pursuing, falling after, attending

Present Active Participle

From root `pat` (to fall/go) with prefix `anu`.

Prefix: anu

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Modifies `eṇakaḥ`.

श्वभ्रतृणशाखाम् (śvabhratṛṇaśākhām) - a dark grass-branch hanging over a chasm, which deceives the fawn (a grass-branch over a pit/chasm)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śvabhratṛṇaśākhā

śvabhratṛṇaśākhā - grass-branch over a pit/chasm (lit. 'pit-grass-branch')

Compound of `śvabhra` (pit), `tṛṇa` (grass), `śākhā` (branch).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śvabhra+tṛṇa+śākhā)

• śvabhra – pit, chasm, hole
  noun (masculine)
• tṛṇa – grass, straw, blade of grass
  noun (neuter)
• śākhā – branch, bough, arm (of a river), division
  noun (feminine)

Note: Object of the participle `anupatat`.

यथा (yathā) - just as (introducing a comparison) (just as, as, according to)

(indeclinable)

एणकः (eṇakaḥ) - a fawn (as the subject of the comparison) (a young deer, fawn, antelope)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of eṇaka

eṇaka - fawn, young deer, antelope

Diminutive of `eṇa` (deer).

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