योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-80, verse-28

अहो नु चित्रं सुमहज्जडेन क्षणभङ्गिना ।
मनःशठेन सर्वोऽयं नीतो विवशतां जनः ॥ २८ ॥

aho nu citraṃ sumahajjaḍena kṣaṇabhaṅginā ,
manaḥśaṭhena sarvo'yaṃ nīto vivaśatāṃ janaḥ 28

28. aho nu citram sumahat jaḍena kṣaṇabhaṅginā
manaḥśaṭhena sarvaḥ ayam nītaḥ vivaśatām janaḥ

28. aho nu sumahat citram ayam sarvaḥ janaḥ jaḍena
kṣaṇabhaṅginā manaḥśaṭhena vivaśatām nītaḥ

28. Oh, what a truly great wonder it is! All these people have been reduced to helplessness by this dull, ephemeral, and deceitful mind.

Words meanings summery:

• अहो (aho) - Oh!, alas!

• नु (nu) - indeed, now, therefore, certainly

• चित्रम् (citram) - wonderful thing, strange, amazing

• सुमहत् (sumahat) - very great, immense

• जडेन (jaḍena) - referring to the mind (by the dull, by the inert)

• क्षणभङ्गिना (kṣaṇabhaṅginā) - referring to the mind (by the ephemeral, by the momentary, by the perishable)

• मनःशठेन (manaḥśaṭhena) - by the deceitful mind

• सर्वः (sarvaḥ) - all these (people) (all, every)

• अयम् (ayam) - this (people) (this)

• नीतः (nītaḥ) - reduced, brought (to a state) (led, brought, taken)

• विवशताम् (vivaśatām) - to helplessness, to dependency, to subjugation

• जनः (janaḥ) - humanity, people in general (person, people, man, creature)

Words meanings and morphology

अहो (aho) - Oh!, alas!

(indeclinable)

नु (nu) - indeed, now, therefore, certainly

(indeclinable)

चित्रम् (citram) - wonderful thing, strange, amazing

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of citra

citra - clear, bright, conspicuous, various, strange, wonderful, variegated, painting

Note: Can function as a noun meaning 'wonder, surprising thing'.

सुमहत् (sumahat) - very great, immense

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sumahat

sumahat - very great, very large, excellent

From 'su' (good, well, very) and 'mahat' (great).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+mahat)

• su – good, well, very, excellent
  indeclinable
• mahat – great, large, important, strong
  adjective
  Present active participle of 'mah' (to be great), used as an adjective.
  Root: mah (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'citram'.

जडेन (jaḍena) - referring to the mind (by the dull, by the inert)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of jaḍa

jaḍa - cold, stiff, rigid, dull, stupid, senseless, inert

Note: Qualifies 'manaḥśaṭhena' implicitly.

क्षणभङ्गिना (kṣaṇabhaṅginā) - referring to the mind (by the ephemeral, by the momentary, by the perishable)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kṣaṇabhaṅgin

kṣaṇabhaṅgin - momentary, transient, perishable, ephemeral

From 'kṣaṇa' (moment) + 'bhaṅgin' (breaking, perishable).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kṣaṇa+bhaṅgin)

• kṣaṇa – moment, instant, short time, leisure
  noun (masculine)
• bhaṅgin – breaking, perishable, fragile, subject to change
  adjective (masculine)
  From 'bhañj' + 'in' suffix.
  Root: bhañj (class 7)

Note: Qualifies 'manaḥśaṭhena' implicitly.

मनःशठेन (manaḥśaṭhena) - by the deceitful mind

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of manaḥśaṭha

manaḥśaṭha - deceitful mind, a mind that deceives

From 'manas' (mind) + 'śaṭha' (deceitful).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (manas+śaṭha)

• manas – mind, intellect, heart, soul, thought, intention
  noun (neuter)
  Root: man (class 4)
• śaṭha – rogue, cheat, cunning, deceitful, wicked
  adjective (masculine)

Note: This is the agent by which people are led to helplessness. 'Jaḍena' and 'kṣaṇabhaṅginā' are adjectives for this.

सर्वः (sarvaḥ) - all these (people) (all, every)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, entire

Note: Qualifies 'janaḥ'.

अयम् (ayam) - this (people) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one, here

Note: Qualifies 'janaḥ'.

नीतः (nītaḥ) - reduced, brought (to a state) (led, brought, taken)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nīta

nīta - led, conducted, carried, obtained, reduced to (a state)

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root 'nī' + suffix 'kta' (ta).

Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'janaḥ'.

विवशताम् (vivaśatām) - to helplessness, to dependency, to subjugation

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of vivaśatā

vivaśatā - helplessness, dependency, subjugation, state of being powerless

From 'vivaśa' (helpless) + 'tā' (suffix for abstract noun).

Note: Object of 'nītaḥ' (led to).

जनः (janaḥ) - humanity, people in general (person, people, man, creature)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jana

jana - person, man, human being, people, creature

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of the sentence (the one who is led).

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