योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-52, verse-56

शब्दशक्तिं गते श्रोत्रे वराके स्वार्थपीडिते ।
तदहंकारदुःखस्य निर्बीजस्य क आगमः ॥ ५६ ॥

śabdaśaktiṃ gate śrotre varāke svārthapīḍite ,
tadahaṃkāraduḥkhasya nirbījasya ka āgamaḥ 56

56. śabdaśaktim gate śrotre varāke svārthapīḍite
tat ahaṃkāraduḥkhasya nirbījasya kaḥ āgamaḥ

56. varāke śrotre svārthapīḍite śabdaśaktim gate
nirbījasya tat ahaṃkāraduḥkhasya kaḥ āgamaḥ

56. When the wretched ear (śrotra), in its own function, has attained the power of sound and is afflicted by its object, what is the origin of the suffering that arises from that ego (ahaṅkāra), which is inherently rootless?

Words meanings summery:

• शब्दशक्तिम् (śabdaśaktim) - the power of sound, the ability of sound

• गते (gate) - having gone, reached, attained

• श्रोत्रे (śrotre) - in the ear, in the organ of hearing

• वराके (varāke) - in the wretched, in the miserable

• स्वार्थपीडिते (svārthapīḍite) - Here, svārtha refers to the specific object of the sense organ, i.e., sound for the ear. (distressed by its own object, afflicted by its own purpose)

• तत् (tat) - Refers to the ego (ahaṅkāra) mentioned later, forming a compound. (that, of that)

• अहंकारदुःखस्य (ahaṁkāraduḥkhasya) - of the suffering of the ego (ahaṅkāra)

• निर्बीजस्य (nirbījasya) - Refers to the ego (ahaṅkāra) or its suffering, implying it is baseless. (of the seedless, of that which is without cause/origin)

• कः (kaḥ) - what, who

• आगमः (āgamaḥ) - origin, coming, source, arrival

Words meanings and morphology

शब्दशक्तिम् (śabdaśaktim) - the power of sound, the ability of sound

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śabdaśakti

śabdaśakti - power of sound, meaning-potency of words

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śabda+śakti)

• śabda – sound, word, voice
  noun (masculine)
  Root: śabd (class 1)
• śakti – power, ability, energy, faculty (śakti)
  noun (feminine)
  From root śak (to be able).
  Root: śak (class 5)

गते (gate) - having gone, reached, attained

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of gata

gata - gone, reached, attained, obtained

Past Passive Participle

From root gam (to go).

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Agrees with śrotre.

श्रोत्रे (śrotre) - in the ear, in the organ of hearing

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of śrotra

śrotra - ear, organ of hearing

From root śru (to hear).

Root: śru (class 5)

वराके (varāke) - in the wretched, in the miserable

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of varāka

varāka - wretched, miserable, pitiable, poor, helpless

Note: Agrees with śrotre.

स्वार्थपीडिते (svārthapīḍite) - Here, svārtha refers to the specific object of the sense organ, i.e., sound for the ear. (distressed by its own object, afflicted by its own purpose)

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of svārthapīḍita

svārthapīḍita - distressed by one's own object/purpose, afflicted by its own interest

Compound. svārtha + pīḍita.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (svārtha+pīḍita)

• svārtha – one's own object, one's own purpose, self-interest
  noun (masculine)
  sva + artha.
• pīḍita – distressed, afflicted, tormented, oppressed
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  From root pīḍ (to oppress, torment).
  Root: pīḍ (class 10)

Note: Agrees with śrotre.

तत् (tat) - Refers to the ego (ahaṅkāra) mentioned later, forming a compound. (that, of that)

(pronoun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, that one

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Acts as an adjective for the subsequent compound ahaṃkāraduḥkhasya.

अहंकारदुःखस्य (ahaṁkāraduḥkhasya) - of the suffering of the ego (ahaṅkāra)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of ahaṃkāraduḥkha

ahaṁkāraduḥkha - the suffering of ego, pain due to ego

Compound of ahaṃkāra (ego) and duḥkha (suffering).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (ahaṃkāra+duḥkha)

• ahaṃkāra – ego, false identification with the self (ahaṅkāra)
  noun (masculine)
  From aham (I) and kṛ (to make).
  Prefix: aham
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• duḥkha – suffering, pain, sorrow, misery
  noun (neuter)

निर्बीजस्य (nirbījasya) - Refers to the ego (ahaṅkāra) or its suffering, implying it is baseless. (of the seedless, of that which is without cause/origin)

(adjective)

Genitive, neuter, singular of nirbīja

nirbīja - seedless, rootless, without cause, without origin

Compound of nir (without) and bīja (seed).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nir+bīja)

• nir – without, free from
  indeclinable
• bīja – seed, cause, origin
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with ahaṃkāraduḥkhasya.

कः (kaḥ) - what, who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which

Interrogative pronoun, masculine nominative singular.

आगमः (āgamaḥ) - origin, coming, source, arrival

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of āgama

āgama - origin, coming, arrival, source, tradition, scripture

From root gam (to go) with upasarga ā.

Prefix: ā

Root: gam (class 1)