योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-66, verse-24

शुष्यतः कायसरसः प्रगलद्यौवनाम्भसः ।
राजहंसः क्षणादायुरनिवर्ति पलायते ॥ २४ ॥

śuṣyataḥ kāyasarasaḥ pragaladyauvanāmbhasaḥ ,
rājahaṃsaḥ kṣaṇādāyuranivarti palāyate 24

24. śuṣyataḥ kāyasarasaḥ pragalat yauvanāmbhasaḥ
rājahaṃsaḥ kṣaṇāt āyuḥ anivarti palāyate

24. kāyasarasaḥ śuṣyataḥ yauvanāmbhasaḥ pragalat
āyuḥ rājahaṃsaḥ anivarti kṣaṇāt palāyate

24. As the body's vital essence dries up and the waters of youth waste away, life (āyus), like a royal swan (rājahaṃsa), flees irreversibly in an instant.

Words meanings summery:

• शुष्यतः (śuṣyataḥ) - of the drying (of the drying, withering)

• कायसरसः (kāyasarasaḥ) - of the body's vital essence/fluid (of the body's fluid, of the body's essence)

• प्रगलत् (pragalat) - dwindling, wasting away (melting, flowing away, wasting away)

• यौवनाम्भसः (yauvanāmbhasaḥ) - of the waters of youth (of the water of youth)

• राजहंसः (rājahaṁsaḥ) - royal swan (rājahaṃsa, metaphor for the life-force) (royal swan, king of swans)

• क्षणात् (kṣaṇāt) - in an instant (in an instant, from an instant, immediately)

• आयुः (āyuḥ) - life (āyus) (life, life-span, vitality)

• अनिवर्ति (anivarti) - irreversible (irreversible, not returning, not turning back)

• पलायते (palāyate) - flees (flees, runs away, escapes)

Words meanings and morphology

शुष्यतः (śuṣyataḥ) - of the drying (of the drying, withering)

(adjective)

Ablative, neuter, singular of śuṣyat

śuṣyat - drying, withering, fading

Present Active Participle

Derived from root śuṣ + śatṛ.

Root: śuṣ (class 4)

Note: Qualifying kāyasarasaḥ.

कायसरसः (kāyasarasaḥ) - of the body's vital essence/fluid (of the body's fluid, of the body's essence)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of kāyasarasa

kāyasarasa - body's fluid/essence

Compound type : tatpurusha (kāya+sarasa)

• kāya – body
  noun (masculine)
• sarasa – fluid, essence, juice
  noun (neuter)

Note: Compound of kāya (body) and sarasa (fluid, essence).

प्रगलत् (pragalat) - dwindling, wasting away (melting, flowing away, wasting away)

(adjective)

Ablative, neuter, singular of pragalat

pragalat - melting, flowing, wasting, falling off

Present Active Participle

Derived from root gal with upasarga pra + śatṛ.

Prefix: pra

Root: gal (class 1)

Note: Qualifying yauvanāmbhasaḥ.

यौवनाम्भसः (yauvanāmbhasaḥ) - of the waters of youth (of the water of youth)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of yauvanāmbhas

yauvanāmbhas - water of youth

Compound type : tatpurusha (yauvana+ambhas)

• yauvana – youth, juvenility
  noun (neuter)
• ambhas – water
  noun (neuter)

Note: Compound of yauvana (youth) and ambhas (water).

राजहंसः (rājahaṁsaḥ) - royal swan (rājahaṃsa, metaphor for the life-force) (royal swan, king of swans)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājahaṃsa

rājahaṁsa - royal swan; a mythical bird; a great sage; the soul (ātman)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (rājan+haṃsa)

• rājan – king, royal
  noun (masculine)
• haṃsa – swan, goose; soul (ātman)
  noun (masculine)

Note: Used here metaphorically in apposition to or simile for āyuḥ.

क्षणात् (kṣaṇāt) - in an instant (in an instant, from an instant, immediately)

(indeclinable)

Note: Functions adverbially.

आयुः (āyuḥ) - life (āyus) (life, life-span, vitality)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of āyus

āyus - life, life-span, vitality, vigor, duration of life

Note: Subject of the verb palāyate.

अनिवर्ति (anivarti) - irreversible (irreversible, not returning, not turning back)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anivartin

anivartin - not turning back, irreversible, not retreating

Formed from na (a-) + nivartin (returning).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+nivartin)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• nivartin – returning, retreating
  adjective
  Agent Noun/Adjective
  Derived from ni-vṛt + -in suffix.
  Prefix: ni
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Qualifies āyuḥ (neuter).

पलायते (palāyate) - flees (flees, runs away, escapes)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of palāy

Present Middle

From root i (to go) with upasarga parā and ā, with an irregular change to l.

Prefixes: parā+ā

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Verb for āyuḥ.