योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-6, chapter-55, verse-17

अर्जुन उवाच ।
तन्मृतोऽस्मीति भगवन्किंकृता तु नृणां स्थितिः ।
कथं स्थितौ च लोकानां तौ स्वर्गनरकौ प्रभो ॥ १७ ॥

arjuna uvāca ,
tanmṛto'smīti bhagavankiṃkṛtā tu nṛṇāṃ sthitiḥ ,
kathaṃ sthitau ca lokānāṃ tau svarganarakau prabho 17

17. Arjuna uvāca tat mṛtaḥ asmi iti bhagavan kim kṛtā tu nṛṇām
sthitiḥ katham sthitau ca lokānām tau svarga narakau prabho

17. Arjuna uvāca.
bhagavan prabho,
tat mṛtaḥ asmi iti,
nṛṇām sthitiḥ tu kim kṛtā? ca katham sthitau lokānām tau svarga narakau (bhavataḥ)?

17. Arjuna said: "O Lord, when someone is dead, by what is the condition of human beings determined? And how, O Lord, do those heaven and hell exist for people in such a state?"

Words meanings summery:

• अर्जुन (arjuna) - Arjuna (a proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• तत् (tat) - Acts as an introducer to the question, linking to previous thoughts or the general circumstances of death. (therefore, then, that)

• मृतः (mṛtaḥ) - dead, deceased

• अस्मि (asmi) - I am

• इति (iti) - thus, so, a marker of direct speech or thought

• भगवन् (bhagavan) - Refers to Krishna as the Supreme Lord. (O Lord, O Fortunate One)

• किम् (kim) - what, by what

• कृता (kṛtā) - made, done, caused

• तु (tu) - Emphasizes the shift to the question about the state of humans. (but, indeed, however)

• नृणाम् (nṛṇām) - of men, of humans

• स्थितिः (sthitiḥ) - The state or condition of human beings after death. (state, condition, existence)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• स्थितौ (sthitau) - In the state of human beings (after death). (in the state, in the condition)

• च (ca) - and

• लोकानाम् (lokānām) - Of all people. (of people, of worlds)

• तौ (tau) - Refers to heaven and hell. (those two)

• स्वर्ग (svarga) - The celestial realm. (heaven)

• नरकौ (narakau) - The infernal realm. The dual ending indicates both heaven and hell. (hell)

• प्रभो (prabho) - Refers to Krishna. (O Lord, O Master)

Words meanings and morphology

अर्जुन (arjuna) - Arjuna (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of Arjuna

Arjuna - Arjuna (name of a Pandava prince)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (lit) of vac

Perfect Active Indic

Root 'vac' (2nd class), perfect tense, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

Root: vac (class 2)

तत् (tat) - Acts as an introducer to the question, linking to previous thoughts or the general circumstances of death. (therefore, then, that)

(indeclinable)

मृतः (mṛtaḥ) - dead, deceased

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛta

mṛta - dead, deceased

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'mṛ' (to die), P.P.P.

Root: mṛ (class 1)

अस्मि (asmi) - I am

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (lat) of as

Present Active Indic

Root 'as' (2nd class), present tense, 1st person singular, parasmaipada

Root: as (class 2)

इति (iti) - thus, so, a marker of direct speech or thought

(indeclinable)

भगवन् (bhagavan) - Refers to Krishna as the Supreme Lord. (O Lord, O Fortunate One)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - fortunate, prosperous, divine, venerable, Lord

Root: bhaj (class 1)

किम् (kim) - what, by what

(pronoun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

कृता (kṛtā) - made, done, caused

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kṛta

kṛta - done, made, caused

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'kṛ' (to do), P.P.P.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

तु (tu) - Emphasizes the shift to the question about the state of humans. (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

नृणाम् (nṛṇām) - of men, of humans

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of nṛ

nṛ - man, human being

स्थितिः (sthitiḥ) - The state or condition of human beings after death. (state, condition, existence)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sthiti

sthiti - standing, state, condition, position, existence

Derived from root 'sthā' (to stand)

Root: sthā (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

स्थितौ (sthitau) - In the state of human beings (after death). (in the state, in the condition)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of sthiti

sthiti - standing, state, condition, position, existence

Derived from root 'sthā' (to stand)

Root: sthā (class 1)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

लोकानाम् (lokānām) - Of all people. (of people, of worlds)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of loka

loka - world, people, folk

तौ (tau) - Refers to heaven and hell. (those two)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

स्वर्ग (svarga) - The celestial realm. (heaven)

(noun)

masculine, singular of svarga

svarga - heaven, paradise

नरकौ (narakau) - The infernal realm. The dual ending indicates both heaven and hell. (hell)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of naraka

naraka - hell, underworld

प्रभो (prabho) - Refers to Krishna. (O Lord, O Master)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of prabhu

prabhu - lord, master, powerful

Root: bhū (class 1)