योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-6, chapter-6, verse-31

तदर्थं यत्कृतं किंचित्तद्व्योम लकुटैर्हतम् ।
तस्मिन्यदधमे दत्तं तत्त्यक्तं किं न कर्दमे ॥ ३१ ॥

tadarthaṃ yatkṛtaṃ kiṃcittadvyoma lakuṭairhatam ,
tasminyadadhame dattaṃ tattyaktaṃ kiṃ na kardame 31

31. tat artham yat kṛtam kiñcit tat vyoma lakuṭaiḥ hatam |
tasmin yat adhame dattam tat tyaktam kim na kardame ||

31. yat kiñcit tat artham kṛtam,
tat vyoma lakuṭaiḥ hatam iva yat adhame dattam,
tat kardame tyaktam kim na

31. Whatever little is done for such a purpose (i.e., for something futile or unworthy) is like striking the sky with sticks. And whatever is given to an unworthy person, is that not as good as being discarded in mud?

Words meanings summery:

• तत् (tat) - that, for that

• अर्थम् (artham) - purpose, for the sake of

• यत् (yat) - which, whatever

• कृतम् (kṛtam) - done, made

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - something, anything, a little

• तत् (tat) - that, it

• व्योम (vyoma) - sky, space

• लकुटैः (lakuṭaiḥ) - by sticks, with clubs

• हतम् (hatam) - struck, hit, killed

• तस्मिन् (tasmin) - in that, to that (person)

• यत् (yat) - which, whatever

• अधमे (adhame) - to the inferior, to the unworthy, to the low

• दत्तम् (dattam) - given, granted

• तत् (tat) - that, it

• त्यक्तम् (tyaktam) - abandoned, discarded, left

• किम् (kim) - what?, why?, indeed?

• न (na) - not, no

• कर्दमे (kardame) - in mud, in mire

Words meanings and morphology

तत् (tat) - that, for that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tat

tat - that, it

अर्थम् (artham) - purpose, for the sake of

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - purpose, meaning, wealth, object

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'for the sake of'.

यत् (yat) - which, whatever

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, whatever

कृतम् (kṛtam) - done, made

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛta

kṛta - done, made, performed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root kṛ- (to do) with suffix -ta.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - something, anything, a little

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiñcid

kiñcid - something, anything, a little, perhaps

तत् (tat) - that, it

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tat

tat - that, it

व्योम (vyoma) - sky, space

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vyoman

vyoman - sky, atmosphere, space

लकुटैः (lakuṭaiḥ) - by sticks, with clubs

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of lakuṭa

lakuṭa - stick, club, cudgel

हतम् (hatam) - struck, hit, killed

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of hata

hata - struck, hit, killed, destroyed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root han- (to strike, kill) with suffix -ta.

Root: han (class 2)

तस्मिन् (tasmin) - in that, to that (person)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of tat

tat - that, it

Note: Used here in a dative sense with 'adhame'.

यत् (yat) - which, whatever

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, whatever

अधमे (adhame) - to the inferior, to the unworthy, to the low

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, singular of adhama

adhama - lowest, inferior, vile, unworthy

Superlative degree of 'adha' (below).

Note: Used as a noun, meaning 'to an inferior person'.

दत्तम् (dattam) - given, granted

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of datta

datta - given, granted, presented

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root dā- (to give) with suffix -ta.

Root: dā (class 3)

तत् (tat) - that, it

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tat

tat - that, it

त्यक्तम् (tyaktam) - abandoned, discarded, left

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tyakta

tyakta - abandoned, discarded, left, given up

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root tyaj- (to abandon) with suffix -ta.

Root: tyaj (class 1)

किम् (kim) - what?, why?, indeed?

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here as an interrogative particle, often implying 'surely it is' when combined with 'na'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

कर्दमे (kardame) - in mud, in mire

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kardama

kardama - mud, mire, dirt