योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-11, verse-5

विषं यथा स्वान्तरेव दुर्घुणी भवति स्वयम् ।
न च दुर्घुणता नाम विषादन्यास्ति काचन ॥ ५ ॥

viṣaṃ yathā svāntareva durghuṇī bhavati svayam ,
na ca durghuṇatā nāma viṣādanyāsti kācana 5

5. viṣam yathā svāntaḥ iva durghuṇī bhavati svayam
na ca durghuṇatā nāma viṣāt anyā asti kācana

5. yathā viṣam svāntaḥ iva svayam durghuṇī bhavati
ca na durghuṇatā nāma viṣāt anyā kācana asti

5. Just as poison (viṣam) itself (svayam) becomes a worm (durghuṇī) seemingly from within itself (svāntaḥ iva), so too, there is no such thing as 'worm-ness' (durghuṇatā nāma) that is truly distinct (anyā kācana) from the poison (viṣāt) itself.

Words meanings summery:

• विषम् (viṣam) - poison, venom

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, like, in the manner that

• स्वान्तः (svāntaḥ) - within itself, inside oneself

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• दुर्घुणी (durghuṇī) - a woodworm, a destructive worm, an insect

• भवति (bhavati) - becomes, happens, exists

• स्वयम् (svayam) - oneself, itself, by oneself

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also

• दुर्घुणता (durghuṇatā) - the state of being a durghuṇī, worm-ness

• नाम (nāma) - by name, indeed, called

• विषात् (viṣāt) - from poison

• अन्या (anyā) - other, different

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• काचन (kācana) - any (feminine)

Words meanings and morphology

विषम् (viṣam) - poison, venom

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of viṣa

viṣa - poison, venom, artificial poison

Note: Subject of the first clause.

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, like, in the manner that

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a simile.

स्वान्तः (svāntaḥ) - within itself, inside oneself

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of svānta

svānta - one's own mind, one's own interior, within itself

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+anta)

• sva – own, self, one's own
  pronoun (masculine)
• anta – end, interior, proximity, within
  noun (masculine)

Note: Locative sense, 'within itself'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for comparison.

दुर्घुणी (durghuṇī) - a woodworm, a destructive worm, an insect

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of durghuṇī

durghuṇī - a destructive worm, woodworm, an insect born from rotten wood

Note: Predicate nominative.

भवति (bhavati) - becomes, happens, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of bhū

Present Active Indicative

3rd person singular, active voice, present tense

Root: bhū (class 1)

स्वयम् (svayam) - oneself, itself, by oneself

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects clauses.

दुर्घुणता (durghuṇatā) - the state of being a durghuṇī, worm-ness

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of durghuṇatā

durghuṇatā - the state of being a durghuṇī (worm), worm-ness

Derived from durghuṇī with suffix -tā (feminine noun indicating state/quality).

Note: Subject of the second clause.

नाम (nāma) - by name, indeed, called

(indeclinable)

विषात् (viṣāt) - from poison

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of viṣa

viṣa - poison, venom

Note: Indicates separation from.

अन्या (anyā) - other, different

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of anya

anya - other, another, different

Note: Qualifies durghuṇatā.

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

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

Present Active Indicative

3rd person singular, active voice, present tense

Root: as (class 2)

काचन (kācana) - any (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kācana

kācana - any, some (feminine)

Derived from kim (what) + cana (particle).

Note: Emphatic indefinite pronoun, 'any whatsoever'.

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