योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-5, chapter-9, verse-26

अयं सोऽहमिति व्यर्थकल्पनाऽसत्स्वरूपिणी ।
अहंकारपिशाचेन किमज्ञवदहं स्थितः ॥ २६ ॥

ayaṃ so'hamiti vyarthakalpanā'satsvarūpiṇī ,
ahaṃkārapiśācena kimajñavadahaṃ sthitaḥ 26

26. ayam saḥ aham iti vyarthakalpanā asatsvarūpiṇī
| ahaṅkārapśācena kim ajñavat aham sthitaḥ ||

26. kim aham ayam saḥ aham iti vyarthakalpanā
asatsvarūpiṇī [sati] ahaṅkārapśācena ajñavat sthitaḥ

26. Why do I remain like an ignorant person, caught by the demon of ego (ahaṅkāra), with this useless, false imagination of 'I am that'?

26. המחשבה הבלתי פוסקת שזהו אני היא דמיון שווא בלבד. מדוע נשארתי כמו שוטה, שנשלט על ידי השד של אַהַנְקָארָה (תחושת האגו)?

Words meanings summery:

• अयम् (ayam) - this (referring to 'I') (this, this one (masculine nominative singular))

• सः (saḥ) - that (referring to the ultimate reality or another self) (he, that, that one (masculine nominative singular))

• अहम् (aham) - I

• इति (iti) - thus (introducing quoted thought) (thus, so, in this manner, indicates quoted speech/thought)

• व्यर्थकल्पना (vyarthakalpanā) - useless imagination (useless imagination, fruitless conception)

• असत्स्वरूपिणी (asatsvarūpiṇī) - false in essence (having an unreal nature, whose form is untrue, false in essence)

• अहङ्कारप्शाचेन (ahaṅkārapśācena) - by the demon of ego (ahaṅkāra) (by the demon of ego)

• किम् (kim) - why (what, why, whether)

• अज्ञवत् (ajñavat) - like an ignorant person (like an ignorant person, as if ignorant)

• अहम् (aham) - I

• स्थितः (sthitaḥ) - do I remain (stood, remained, situated, existing)

Words meanings and morphology

अयम् (ayam) - this (referring to 'I') (this, this one (masculine nominative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Nominative singular masculine form of the demonstrative pronoun 'idam'

Note: Part of the expression 'ayam saḥ aham' (This is that I / I am that).

सः (saḥ) - that (referring to the ultimate reality or another self) (he, that, that one (masculine nominative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Nominative singular masculine form of the demonstrative pronoun 'tad'

Note: Part of the expression 'ayam saḥ aham'.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Nominative singular form of the first person pronoun 'asmad'

Note: First person singular pronoun.

इति (iti) - thus (introducing quoted thought) (thus, so, in this manner, indicates quoted speech/thought)

(indeclinable)

Particle

Note: Follows the direct thought/statement 'ayam saḥ aham'.

व्यर्थकल्पना (vyarthakalpanā) - useless imagination (useless imagination, fruitless conception)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vyarthakalpanā

vyarthakalpanā - useless imagination

Compound type : karmadhāraya (vyartha+kalpanā)

• vyartha – useless, meaningless, vain
  adjective
  Compound of 'vi' (without) and 'artha' (purpose/meaning)
• kalpanā – imagination, conception, mental creation
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root 'kḷp' (to arrange, conceive)
  Root: kḷp (class 1)

Note: Refers to the 'I am that' thought.

असत्स्वरूपिणी (asatsvarūpiṇī) - false in essence (having an unreal nature, whose form is untrue, false in essence)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of asatsvarūpin

asatsvarūpin - having an unreal nature

Feminine form of 'asatsvarūpin'. Formed as a Bahuvrihi compound 'asat-svarūpa' with possessive suffix 'in'.

Compound type : bahuvrihi (asat+svarūpa)

• asat – unreal, non-existent, false
  adjective
  Compound of 'a' (negation) and 'sat' (existent, real)
  Prefix: a
  Root: as (class 2)
• svarūpa – one's own form or nature, essential nature
  noun (neuter)
  Compound of 'sva' (self, own) and 'rūpa' (form)
  Root: rúp (class 1)

Note: Qualifies `vyarthakalpanā`.

अहङ्कारप्शाचेन (ahaṅkārapśācena) - by the demon of ego (ahaṅkāra) (by the demon of ego)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ahaṅkārapśāca

ahaṅkārapśāca - demon of ego

Compound type : tatpurusha (ahaṅkāra+piśāca)

• ahaṅkāra – ego, egoism, self-consciousness
  noun (masculine)
  Compound of 'aham' (I) and 'kāra' (maker)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• piśāca – demon, goblin, fiend
  noun (masculine)

Note: Indicates the agent by which one is affected.

किम् (kim) - why (what, why, whether)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative particle

Note: Introduces the rhetorical question.

अज्ञवत् (ajñavat) - like an ignorant person (like an ignorant person, as if ignorant)

(indeclinable)

Formed with the suffix '-vat' indicating similarity, from 'ajña' (ignorant)

Prefix: a

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Qualifies the manner of being.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Nominative singular form of the first person pronoun 'asmad'

Note: Subject of the verb `sthitaḥ`.

स्थितः (sthitaḥ) - do I remain (stood, remained, situated, existing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sthita

sthita - stood, remained, situated, existing

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'sthā' (to stand, remain) with suffix -ta

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Agrees with `aham`.

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