योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-6, chapter-96, verse-28

आख्यानाख्यास्वरूपस्य निराभासप्रभादृशः ।
सतो वाप्यसतो वाथ कथं कारणता भवेत् ॥ २८ ॥

ākhyānākhyāsvarūpasya nirābhāsaprabhādṛśaḥ ,
sato vāpyasato vātha kathaṃ kāraṇatā bhavet 28

28. ākhyāna-ākhyā-svarūpasya nirābhāsa-prabhā-dṛśaḥ |
sataḥ vā api asataḥ vā atha katham kāraṇatā bhavet ||

28. ākhyāna-ākhyā-svarūpasya nirābhāsa-prabhā-dṛśaḥ,
sataḥ vā api asataḥ vā atha,
kāraṇatā katham bhavet?

28. How could causality exist for that (reality) whose nature is beyond description and designation, whose perception is free from (external) appearances, whether it is considered existent or non-existent?

Words meanings summery:

• आख्यान-आख्या-स्वरूपस्य (ākhyāna-ākhyā-svarūpasya) - of that whose nature is beyond description and designation

• निराभास-प्रभा-दृशः (nirābhāsa-prabhā-dṛśaḥ) - of that whose perception/vision is free from (external) appearances, whose illuminating awareness is formless

• सतः (sataḥ) - of the existent, of being

• वा (vā) - or

• अपि (api) - also, even, indeed

• असतः (asataḥ) - of the non-existent, of non-being

• वा (vā) - or

• अथ (atha) - then, now, moreover

• कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

• कारणता (kāraṇatā) - causality, the state of being a cause

• भवेत् (bhavet) - may it be, could there be, it would be

Words meanings and morphology

आख्यान-आख्या-स्वरूपस्य (ākhyāna-ākhyā-svarūpasya) - of that whose nature is beyond description and designation

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ākhyāna-ākhyā-svarūpa

ākhyāna-ākhyā-svarūpa - whose nature is beyond description and designation, indescribable

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ākhyāna+ākhyā+svarūpa)

• ākhyāna – narration, description, designation
  noun (neuter)
  From the root 'khyā' (to tell) with the prefix 'ā-'.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: khyā (class 2)
• ākhyā – name, appellation, designation, description
  noun (feminine)
  From the root 'khyā' (to tell) with the prefix 'ā-'.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: khyā (class 2)
• svarūpa – one's own form or nature, essential nature
  noun (neuter)
  From 'sva' (own) + 'rūpa' (form).

Note: Qualifies the implicit subject (the ultimate reality).

निराभास-प्रभा-दृशः (nirābhāsa-prabhā-dṛśaḥ) - of that whose perception/vision is free from (external) appearances, whose illuminating awareness is formless

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of nirābhāsa-prabhā-dṛś

nirābhāsa-prabhā-dṛś - whose perception/vision is free from (external) appearances, whose illuminating awareness is formless

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nirābhāsa+prabhā+dṛś)

• nirābhāsa – without appearance, formless, unmanifested
  adjective (neuter)
  From 'nis-' (without) + 'ābhāsa' (appearance, manifestation).
  Prefix: nis
• prabhā – light, splendor, brilliance, manifestation
  noun (feminine)
  From the root 'bhā' (to shine) with the prefix 'pra-'.
  Prefix: pra
  Root: bhā (class 2)
• dṛś – seeing, vision, eye, consciousness
  noun (feminine)
  From the root 'dṛś' (to see).
  Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Qualifies the implicit subject (the ultimate reality).

सतः (sataḥ) - of the existent, of being

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of sat

sat - existent, real, good, being

Present Active Participle

From the root 'as' (to be) with the present participle suffix '-at'.

Root: as (class 2)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - also, even, indeed

(indeclinable)

असतः (asataḥ) - of the non-existent, of non-being

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, bad, non-being

Present Active Participle (negative)

A negative compound of 'a-' (not) and 'sat' (existent, being).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative particle.
• sat – existent, real, being
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  From the root 'as' (to be).
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Used substantively here, referring to the 'non-existent' aspect.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

अथ (atha) - then, now, moreover

(indeclinable)

कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

(indeclinable)

कारणता (kāraṇatā) - causality, the state of being a cause

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kāraṇatā

kāraṇatā - causality, the state of being a cause, the quality of being a cause

From 'kāraṇa' (cause) with the abstract noun suffix '-tā'.

भवेत् (bhavet) - may it be, could there be, it would be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of bhū

Optative Active

From the root 'bhū' (class 1) in the 3rd person singular optative active.

Root: bhū (class 1)