योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-6, chapter-87, verse-16

ब्रह्मोवाच ।
ज्ञानं हि परमं श्रेयः कैवल्यं तेन वेत्त्यलम् ।
कालातिवाहनायैव विनोदायोदिता क्रिया ॥ १६ ॥

brahmovāca ,
jñānaṃ hi paramaṃ śreyaḥ kaivalyaṃ tena vettyalam ,
kālātivāhanāyaiva vinodāyoditā kriyā 16

16. brahmā uvāca jñānam hi paramam śreyaḥ kaivalyam tena
vetti alam kālātivāhanāya eva vinodāya uditā kriyā

16. brahmā uvāca hi jñānam paramam śreyaḥ tena kaivalyam
alam vetti kriyā kālātivāhanāya eva vinodāya uditā

16. Brahmā said: 'Indeed, knowledge is the supreme good; through it, one truly attains ultimate liberation. Action is merely intended for passing time and for amusement.'

Words meanings summery:

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator deity)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge, spiritual wisdom

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

• परमम् (paramam) - supreme, highest, ultimate

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - good, welfare, ultimate benefit, superior

• कैवल्यम् (kaivalyam) - ultimate liberation, isolation, oneness, final emancipation

• तेन (tena) - through knowledge (jñāna) (by it, through it)

• वेत्ति (vetti) - one knows, attains

• अलम् (alam) - sufficiently, completely, truly

• कालातिवाहनाय (kālātivāhanāya) - for passing time, for whiling away time

• एव (eva) - only, merely, indeed

• विनोदाय (vinodāya) - for amusement, for entertainment

• उदिता (uditā) - taught, prescribed, arisen, said

• क्रिया (kriyā) - action, ritual, activity

Words meanings and morphology

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator deity)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator god), a priest

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (Lit) of uvāca

Perfect tense form

root √vac, Lit lakāra, 3rd person singular

Root: √vac (class 2)

ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge, spiritual wisdom

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jñāna

jñāna - knowledge, spiritual wisdom, understanding

action noun

from root √jñā with suffix -ana (lyuṭ)

Root: √jñā (class 9)

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

(indeclinable)

परमम् (paramam) - supreme, highest, ultimate

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of parama

parama - supreme, highest, best, ultimate

superlative of para (other, supreme)

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - good, welfare, ultimate benefit, superior

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, more excellent, superior; ultimate good, welfare

comparative degree of praśasya (excellent)

कैवल्यम् (kaivalyam) - ultimate liberation, isolation, oneness, final emancipation

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kaivalya

kaivalya - ultimate liberation, isolation, oneness, absolute freedom

abstract noun from kevala (alone, solitary)

तेन (tena) - through knowledge (jñāna) (by it, through it)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

वेत्ति (vetti) - one knows, attains

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (Laṭ) of √vid

Present tense form

root √vid (class 2), Laṭ lakāra, 3rd person singular

Root: √vid (class 2)

अलम् (alam) - sufficiently, completely, truly

(indeclinable)

कालातिवाहनाय (kālātivāhanāya) - for passing time, for whiling away time

(noun)

Dative, neuter, singular of kālātivāhana

kālātivāhana - passing of time, spending time

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (kāla+ativāhana)

• kāla – time
  noun (masculine)
• ativāhana – passing, spending (of time)
  noun (neuter)
  action noun (lyuṭ)
  from root √vah with prefix ati
  Prefix: ati
  Root: √vah (class 1)

एव (eva) - only, merely, indeed

(indeclinable)

विनोदाय (vinodāya) - for amusement, for entertainment

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of vinoda

vinoda - amusement, diversion, entertainment

action noun

from root √nud with prefix vi

Prefix: vi

Root: √nud (class 6)

उदिता (uditā) - taught, prescribed, arisen, said

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of udita

udita - said, spoken, risen, prescribed

Past Passive Participle

from root √vad with prefix ud

Prefix: ud

Root: √vad (class 1)

क्रिया (kriyā) - action, ritual, activity

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kriyā

kriyā - action, ritual, activity

action noun

from root √kṛ with suffix -ā

Root: √kṛ (class 8)