योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-6, chapter-98, verse-17

वास्यस्य जगतोऽभावाद्यतो नास्त्येव वासना ।
अतस्तदात्मकं चित्तं कीदृशं क्व कुतः कथम् ॥ १७ ॥

vāsyasya jagato'bhāvādyato nāstyeva vāsanā ,
atastadātmakaṃ cittaṃ kīdṛśaṃ kva kutaḥ katham 17

17. vāsyasya jagataḥ abhāvāt yataḥ na asti eva vāsanā |
ataḥ tat-ātmakam cittam kīdṛśam kva kutaḥ katham ||

17. yataḥ vāsyasya jagataḥ abhāvāt,
(ataḥ) vāsanā eva na asti.
ataḥ tat-ātmakam cittam kīdṛśam kva kutaḥ katham (asti/bhavati)?

17. Since the world (jagat) as an object of experience does not truly exist, there are certainly no latent mental impressions (vāsanā). Therefore, what kind of mind (citta) could exist, where could it be, from where could it arise, or how could it function, if it is constituted by such impressions?

Words meanings summery:

• वास्यस्य (vāsyasya) - of the world as an object of experience (of that which is to be permeated, of that which is to be experienced)

• जगतः (jagataḥ) - of the world

• अभावात् (abhāvāt) - due to the non-existence, from the absence

• यतः (yataḥ) - because, since, from which, whereby

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• वासना (vāsanā) - latent tendency, mental impression, desire, longing

• अतः (ataḥ) - therefore, hence, from this

• तत्-आत्मकम् (tat-ātmakam) - mind constituted by vāsanā or the world (having that as its nature/essence, constituted by that)

• चित्तम् (cittam) - mind, consciousness, thought

• कीदृशम् (kīdṛśam) - of what kind, of what sort, how

• क्व (kva) - where? in what place?

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where? whence?

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

Words meanings and morphology

वास्यस्य (vāsyasya) - of the world as an object of experience (of that which is to be permeated, of that which is to be experienced)

(adjective)

Genitive, neuter, singular of vāsya

vāsya - to be dwelled in, to be permeated, to be experienced, habitable

gerundive/potential passive participle

Derived from the root √vas (to dwell, inhabit, permeate) with the suffix -ya.

Root: vas (class 1)

जगतः (jagataḥ) - of the world

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of jagat

jagat - world, universe, moving

अभावात् (abhāvāt) - due to the non-existence, from the absence

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of abhāva

abhāva - non-existence, absence, lack

Derived from 'a-' (negation) + 'bhāva' (being, existence)

यतः (yataḥ) - because, since, from which, whereby

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

वासना (vāsanā) - latent tendency, mental impression, desire, longing

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vāsanā

vāsanā - latent impression, mental trace, desire, imagination, perfume

Derived from the root √vas (to smell, to dwell)

अतः (ataḥ) - therefore, hence, from this

(indeclinable)

तत्-आत्मकम् (tat-ātmakam) - mind constituted by vāsanā or the world (having that as its nature/essence, constituted by that)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tadātmaka

tadātmaka - having that as its nature, consisting of that, identical with that

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tat+ātmaka)

• tat – that
  pronoun (neuter)
• ātmaka – having the nature of, consisting of, pertaining to the self (ātman)
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from 'ātman' (Self) with the suffix '-ka'

चित्तम् (cittam) - mind, consciousness, thought

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of citta

citta - mind, consciousness, thought, intellect

past passive participle (nominalized)

Derived from the root √cit (to perceive, think) with the kta (past passive participle) suffix, used as a noun.

Root: cit (class 10)

कीदृशम् (kīdṛśam) - of what kind, of what sort, how

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kīdṛśa

kīdṛśa - of what kind or sort, what like, how

क्व (kva) - where? in what place?

(indeclinable)

कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where? whence?

(indeclinable)

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)