योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-87, verse-16

अचिन्मयं चिन्मयं च नेति नेति यदुच्यते ।
ततस्तत्संबभूवासौ यद्गिरामप्यगोचरः ॥ १६ ॥

acinmayaṃ cinmayaṃ ca neti neti yaducyate ,
tatastatsaṃbabhūvāsau yadgirāmapyagocaraḥ 16

16. acinmayam cinmayam ca na iti na iti yat ucyate
tataḥ tat sambabhūva asau yat girām api agocaraḥ

16. yat acinmayam cinmayam ca na iti na iti ucyate
yat girām api agocaraḥ tataḥ tat asau sambabhūva

16. That ultimate reality, which is declared by the negations "not this, not this," being neither inert nor merely conscious, and which is also beyond the reach of words—from that (unmanifest state), that very entity (Brahman) manifested.

Words meanings summery:

• अचिन्मयम् (acinmayam) - inert, non-sentient (not consisting of consciousness, unconscious, inanimate)

• चिन्मयम् (cinmayam) - sentient, purely conscious (consisting of consciousness, conscious, animate)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• इति (iti) - marking a direct quote 'this' (thus, so, in this manner, marking direct speech or quotation)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• इति (iti) - marking a direct quote 'this' (thus, so, in this manner, marking direct speech or quotation)

• यत् (yat) - that which (the ultimate reality) (which, what, that)

• उच्यते (ucyate) - is declared, is spoken of (is said, is declared, is called)

• ततः (tataḥ) - from that (source/unmanifest state) (from that, then, therefore)

• तत् (tat) - that (ultimate reality) (that, it)

• सम्बभूव (sambabhūva) - manifested, came into being (in a manifested form) (became, arose, was born, manifested)

• असौ (asau) - that very (ultimate reality) (that one, this one (masculine/feminine nominative singular of 'adas'))

• यत् (yat) - which (describing the ultimate reality) (which, what, that)

• गिराम् (girām) - of words, of speech

• अपि (api) - even (also, even, moreover)

• अगोचरः (agocaraḥ) - beyond the grasp/reach (of words) (beyond reach, imperceptible, incomprehensible)

Words meanings and morphology

अचिन्मयम् (acinmayam) - inert, non-sentient (not consisting of consciousness, unconscious, inanimate)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of acinmaya

acinmaya - consisting of absence of thought/consciousness, unconscious, inanimate

Compound of 'a' (negation) + 'cit' (consciousness) + 'maya' (consisting of).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+cit+maya)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• cit – consciousness, thought, pure intelligence
  noun (feminine)
• maya – consisting of, made of, full of
  suffixial adjective (masculine)
  Derived from suffix -maya.

Note: Acts as an attribute of the ultimate reality, parallel to 'cinmayam'.

चिन्मयम् (cinmayam) - sentient, purely conscious (consisting of consciousness, conscious, animate)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cinmaya

cinmaya - consisting of consciousness, conscious, intelligent

Compound of 'cit' (consciousness) + 'maya' (consisting of).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (cit+maya)

• cit – consciousness, thought, pure intelligence
  noun (feminine)
• maya – consisting of, made of, full of
  suffixial adjective (masculine)
  Derived from suffix -maya.

Note: Acts as an attribute of the ultimate reality, parallel to 'acinmayam'.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the two opposing attributes.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Part of the 'neti neti' negation.

इति (iti) - marking a direct quote 'this' (thus, so, in this manner, marking direct speech or quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Part of the 'neti neti' negation.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Second instance of 'na' in 'neti neti'.

इति (iti) - marking a direct quote 'this' (thus, so, in this manner, marking direct speech or quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Second instance of 'iti' in 'neti neti'.

यत् (yat) - that which (the ultimate reality) (which, what, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Refers to the ultimate reality being described.

उच्यते (ucyate) - is declared, is spoken of (is said, is declared, is called)

(verb)

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

Passive voice, present tense, 3rd person singular.

Root: vac (class 2)

ततः (tataḥ) - from that (source/unmanifest state) (from that, then, therefore)

(indeclinable)

Ablative adverbial suffix.

Note: Indicates origin or sequence in the manifestation.

तत् (tat) - that (ultimate reality) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

Note: Refers to the ultimate reality mentioned earlier.

सम्बभूव (sambabhūva) - manifested, came into being (in a manifested form) (became, arose, was born, manifested)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of sambhū

Perfect tense (liṭ), 3rd person singular, active voice.

Prefix: sam

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Describes the manifestation of the ultimate reality.

असौ (asau) - that very (ultimate reality) (that one, this one (masculine/feminine nominative singular of 'adas'))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adas

adas - that, this (emphasizing distance or something specific)

Note: Refers to the subject that manifested, the ultimate reality itself.

यत् (yat) - which (describing the ultimate reality) (which, what, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Refers to the ultimate reality, introducing the next descriptive clause.

गिराम् (girām) - of words, of speech

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, plural of gir

gir - speech, word, voice, hymn

Root: gṝ (class 6)

Note: Dependent on 'agocaraḥ'.

अपि (api) - even (also, even, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the extent of being beyond reach.

अगोचरः (agocaraḥ) - beyond the grasp/reach (of words) (beyond reach, imperceptible, incomprehensible)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of agocara

agocara - not an object of sense, incomprehensible, imperceptible, invisible, inaccessible

Compound of 'a' (negation) + 'go-cara' (range of senses/speech).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+gocara)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• gocara – range, sphere, object of sense, scope, pasture
  noun (masculine)
  Compound of 'go' (sense/speech/cow) + 'cara' (moving/going).
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'asau'.

Previous Verse Next Verse