योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-16, verse-3

जानुस्तम्भेन महता धार्यते सुतरुर्यथा ।
अहंकारेण देहोऽयं तथैव किल धार्यते ॥ ३ ॥

jānustambhena mahatā dhāryate sutaruryathā ,
ahaṃkāreṇa deho'yaṃ tathaiva kila dhāryate 3

3. jānu-stambhena mahatā dhāryate su-taruḥ yathā
ahaṅkāreṇa dehaḥ ayam tathā eva kila dhāryate

3. yathā su-taruḥ mahatā jānu-stambhena dhāryate
tathā eva ayam dehaḥ ahaṅkāreṇa kila dhāryate

3. Just as a great tree is sustained by a mighty trunk, so too, this body (deha) is indeed supported by ego (ahaṅkāra).

Words meanings summery:

• जानु-स्तम्भेन (jānu-stambhena) - by the mighty trunk of a tree (by a strong support, by a trunk)

• महता (mahatā) - by a mighty (trunk) (by a great, by a mighty)

• धार्यते (dhāryate) - the tree is supported (is supported, is held, is sustained)

• सु-तरुः (su-taruḥ) - a great tree (a good tree, a beautiful tree, a mighty tree)

• यथा (yathā) - introduces a comparison (as, just as, in the manner that)

• अहङ्कारेण (ahaṅkāreṇa) - by the ego (ahaṅkāra) (by ego, by self-sense)

• देहः (dehaḥ) - this body (body)

• अयम् (ayam) - this (body) (this)

• तथा (tathā) - in the same way (as the tree) (so, thus, in the same way)

• एव (eva) - emphasizes the similarity (only, indeed, just so)

• किल (kila) - reinforces the statement (indeed, surely, as is well known)

• धार्यते (dhāryate) - this body is supported (is supported, is held, is sustained)

Words meanings and morphology

जानु-स्तम्भेन (jānu-stambhena) - by the mighty trunk of a tree (by a strong support, by a trunk)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of jānu-stambha

jānu-stambha - strong trunk (of a tree), pillar-like support

Compound type : tatpurusha (jānu+stambha)

• jānu – knee, a kind of strong wood/tree
  noun (neuter)
• stambha – pillar, post, support, trunk (of a tree)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: stambh (class 5)

Note: Agent of passive verb `dhāryate`

महता (mahatā) - by a mighty (trunk) (by a great, by a mighty)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, mighty, important

धार्यते (dhāryate) - the tree is supported (is supported, is held, is sustained)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of dhṛ

present passive

3rd singular present passive of √dhṛ

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

सु-तरुः (su-taruḥ) - a great tree (a good tree, a beautiful tree, a mighty tree)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of su-taru

su-taru - a good tree, a great tree

`su` (good, excellent) + `taru` (tree)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+taru)

• su – good, well, excellent
  indeclinable
• taru – tree
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of `dhāryate`

यथा (yathā) - introduces a comparison (as, just as, in the manner that)

(indeclinable)

अहङ्कारेण (ahaṅkāreṇa) - by the ego (ahaṅkāra) (by ego, by self-sense)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ahaṅkāra

ahaṅkāra - ego, self-sense, I-making

Note: Agent of passive verb `dhāryate`

देहः (dehaḥ) - this body (body)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of deha

deha - body, corporeal form, physical frame

Root: dih (class 1)

Note: Subject of `dhāryate`

अयम् (ayam) - this (body) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this here

तथा (tathā) - in the same way (as the tree) (so, thus, in the same way)

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - emphasizes the similarity (only, indeed, just so)

(indeclinable)

Note: Sandhi with `tathā` forms `tathaiva`.

किल (kila) - reinforces the statement (indeed, surely, as is well known)

(indeclinable)

धार्यते (dhāryate) - this body is supported (is supported, is held, is sustained)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of dhṛ

present passive

3rd singular present passive of √dhṛ

Root: dhṛ (class 1)