योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-103, verse-30

यात माऽऽपातमधुरं व्योम व्योमैकरूपिणीम् ।
शून्यं वायुं लिहन्तोऽन्तर्लेलिहाना इवाहयः ॥ ३० ॥

yāta mā''pātamadhuraṃ vyoma vyomaikarūpiṇīm ,
śūnyaṃ vāyuṃ lihanto'ntarlelihānā ivāhayaḥ 30

30. yāta mā āpātamadhuram vyoma vyomaikarūpiṇīm
śūnyam vāyum lihantaḥ antaḥ lelihānāḥ iva ahayaḥ

30. mā yāta āpātamadhuram vyoma vyomaikarūpiṇīm
ahayaḥ iva antaḥ śūnyam vāyum lihantaḥ lelihānāḥ

30. Do not pursue that which is superficially sweet and illusory, like the void which is merely space in its true form. You are like serpents who, while inwardly licking empty air, repeatedly lick (only such emptiness).

Words meanings summery:

• यात (yāta) - go, proceed

• मा (mā) - do not, not

• आपातमधुरम् (āpātamadhuram) - sweet at first sight, superficially pleasing

• व्योम (vyoma) - sky, space, void

• व्योमैकरूपिणीम् (vyomaikarūpiṇīm) - having the sole form of space, whose only form is space

• शून्यम् (śūnyam) - empty, void, vacant

• वायुम् (vāyum) - wind, air

• लिहन्तः (lihantaḥ) - licking, tasting

• अन्तः (antaḥ) - inside, within, inwardly

• लेलिहानाः (lelihānāḥ) - repeatedly licking

• इव (iva) - like, as if

• अहयः (ahayaḥ) - serpents, snakes

Words meanings and morphology

यात (yāta) - go, proceed

(verb)

2nd person , plural, active, imperative (loṭ) of yā

Imperative 2nd person plural

Root yā, imperative mood, active voice.

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Subject is implied 'you' (plural).

मा (mā) - do not, not

(indeclinable)

आपातमधुरम् (āpātamadhuram) - sweet at first sight, superficially pleasing

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of āpātamadhura

āpātamadhura - sweet at first glance, superficially pleasant, seemingly agreeable

From āpāta (first appearance) + madhura (sweet).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (āpāta+madhura)

• āpāta – fall, descent, encounter, first appearance
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: pat (class 1)
• madhura – sweet, charming, pleasant
  adjective

Note: Qualifies vyoma.

व्योम (vyoma) - sky, space, void

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vyoman

vyoman - sky, atmosphere, space, void

Note: Object of yāta.

व्योमैकरूपिणीम् (vyomaikarūpiṇīm) - having the sole form of space, whose only form is space

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of vyomaikarūpiṇī

vyomaikarūpiṇī - having space as its sole form, whose essential nature is space

From vyoma (space) + eka (one/sole) + rūpiṇī (having the form of), feminine.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (vyoman+eka+rūpiṇī)

• vyoman – sky, space, void
  noun (neuter)
• eka – one, sole, unique
  adjective
• rūpiṇī – having the form of, characterized by (feminine)
  adjective (feminine)
  Derived from rūpa (form) + -in (possessive suffix) + -ī (feminine suffix).

Note: This is the object of the repeated licking by the snakes, and metaphorically, what people pursue.

शून्यम् (śūnyam) - empty, void, vacant

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śūnya

śūnya - empty, void, null, zero

Root: śū

Note: Qualifies vāyum.

वायुम् (vāyum) - wind, air

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vāyu

vāyu - wind, air, god of wind

Root: vā (class 2)

Note: Object of lihantaḥ.

लिहन्तः (lihantaḥ) - licking, tasting

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of lihat

lihat - licking, tasting, devouring

Present Active Participle

Derived from root lih (to lick) with present participle suffix -at.

Root: lih (class 2)

अन्तः (antaḥ) - inside, within, inwardly

(indeclinable)

Note: Modified lihantaḥ.

लेलिहानाः (lelihānāḥ) - repeatedly licking

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of lelihāna

lelihāna - repeatedly licking, tasting intensely

Intensive (Yaṅanta) Present Participle

Intensive participle from root lih (to lick).

Root: lih (class 2)

इव (iva) - like, as if

(indeclinable)

अहयः (ahayaḥ) - serpents, snakes

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ahi

ahi - serpent, snake

Note: Subject of the simile.