योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-18, verse-51

अध ऊर्ध्वत्वमायाति यात्यूर्ध्वत्वमधस्तथा ।
संसारस्य चलस्यास्य चक्रनेमिरिवाभितः ॥ ५१ ॥

adha ūrdhvatvamāyāti yātyūrdhvatvamadhastathā ,
saṃsārasya calasyāsya cakranemirivābhitaḥ 51

51. adhaḥ ūrdhvatvam āyāti yāti ūrdhvatvam adhaḥ tathā
saṃsārasya calasya asya cakra-nemiḥ iva abhitaḥ

51. asya calasya saṃsārasya (madhye) abhitaḥ cakra-nemiḥ iva adhaḥ ūrdhvatvam āyāti tathā ūrdhvatvam adhaḥ yāti.

51. In this ever-changing cycle of transmigration (saṃsāra), what is low rises to a high position, and similarly, what is high descends to a low position, just like the rim of a wheel revolving all around.

Words meanings summery:

• अधः (adhaḥ) - what is low / below (below, underneath, downwards)

• ऊर्ध्वत्वम् (ūrdhvatvam) - a high position / upward state (upward state, height, supremacy)

• आयाति (āyāti) - rises to / attains (comes, approaches, attains)

• याति (yāti) - descends to / goes to (goes, moves, proceeds)

• ऊर्ध्वत्वम् (ūrdhvatvam) - what is high / the high position (upward state, height, supremacy)

• अधः (adhaḥ) - to the bottom / a low position (below, underneath, downwards)

• तथा (tathā) - similarly (thus, so, similarly, likewise)

• संसारस्य (saṁsārasya) - of the cycle of transmigration (saṃsāra) (of transmigration, of the world)

• चलस्य (calasya) - of this ever-changing / moving (of the moving, of the unsteady, of the wavering)

• अस्य (asya) - of this (of this, of him, of it)

• चक्र-नेमिः (cakra-nemiḥ) - the rim of a wheel (rim of a wheel)

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

• अभितः (abhitaḥ) - all around / revolving (all around, on both sides, everywhere)

Words meanings and morphology

अधः (adhaḥ) - what is low / below (below, underneath, downwards)

(indeclinable)

Note: Can function as an adverb or a substantive in certain contexts.

ऊर्ध्वत्वम् (ūrdhvatvam) - a high position / upward state (upward state, height, supremacy)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ūrdhvatva

ūrdhvatva - upward state, height, supremacy, superiority

Derived from ūrdhva (upward) with suffix -tva (abstract noun marker)

Note: The state of being high.

आयाति (āyāti) - rises to / attains (comes, approaches, attains)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of ā-yā

Prefix: ā

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Prefix ā (towards) + root yā (to go).

याति (yāti) - descends to / goes to (goes, moves, proceeds)

(verb)

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

Root: yā (class 2)

ऊर्ध्वत्वम् (ūrdhvatvam) - what is high / the high position (upward state, height, supremacy)

(noun)

neuter, singular of ūrdhvatva

ūrdhvatva - upward state, height, supremacy, superiority

Derived from ūrdhva (upward) with suffix -tva (abstract noun marker)

Note: Nominative in this instance, as the subject of the second 'yāti'.

अधः (adhaḥ) - to the bottom / a low position (below, underneath, downwards)

(indeclinable)

Note: Functions adverbially or as a substantive in the accusative sense of 'to below'.

तथा (tathā) - similarly (thus, so, similarly, likewise)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the two parallel clauses.

संसारस्य (saṁsārasya) - of the cycle of transmigration (saṃsāra) (of transmigration, of the world)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of saṃsāra

saṁsāra - cycle of rebirth, transmigration, worldly existence

From root sṛ (to flow) with prefix sam (together, entirely)

Prefix: sam

Root: sṛ (class 1)

Note: Governs 'calasya' and 'asya'.

चलस्य (calasya) - of this ever-changing / moving (of the moving, of the unsteady, of the wavering)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of cala

cala - moving, unsteady, shaking, temporary, changing

agent noun/adjective from root cal

From root cal (to move)

Root: cal (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'saṃsārasya'.

अस्य (asya) - of this (of this, of him, of it)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Note: Qualifies 'saṃsārasya'.

चक्र-नेमिः (cakra-nemiḥ) - the rim of a wheel (rim of a wheel)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of cakra-nemi

cakra-nemi - the rim of a wheel

Compound type : tatpurusha (cakra+nemi)

• cakra – wheel, discus, cycle
  noun (neuter)
• nemi – rim of a wheel, circumference
  noun (feminine)

Note: Comparison object.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for comparison.

अभितः (abhitaḥ) - all around / revolving (all around, on both sides, everywhere)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the circular motion.