योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-116, verse-15

आकाश काशमसि निर्मलमच्छमुच्चैराधार उन्नततयोत्तममुत्तमानाम् ।
त्वामेत्य किंतु विरलं करकाघनोऽयं लोकं विमर्दयति तेन परोऽसि नीचैः ॥ १५ ॥

ākāśa kāśamasi nirmalamacchamuccairādhāra unnatatayottamamuttamānām ,
tvāmetya kiṃtu viralaṃ karakāghano'yaṃ lokaṃ vimardayati tena paro'si nīcaiḥ 15

15. ākāśa kāśam asi nirmalam accham uccaiḥ-ādhāra
unnatatayā uttamam uttamānām | tvām
etya kim tu viralam karaka-ghanaḥ ayam
lokam vimardayati tena paraḥ asi nīcaiḥ ||

15. ākāśa! tvam kāśam asi nirmalam accham uccaiḥ-ādhāra unnatatayā uttamānām uttamam.
kim tu ayam karaka-ghanaḥ viralam tvām etya lokam vimardayati.
tena nīcaiḥ paraḥ asi.

15. O space (ākāśa), you are luminous, pure, clear, a high support, and supremely excellent among the excellent due to your exalted nature. Yet, this hail-cloud, reaching you, sometimes devastates the world. Therefore, you are truly superior to what is base.

15. הוי שמיים, אתה זורח בטהרה ובצללות, משענת נישאה, הנשגב מכל הנשגבים! אך משהגיע אליך, ענן הברד הזה מכה בעולם, ועל כן בריות מעריכות אותך כפחות ערך.

Words meanings summery:

• आकाश (ākāśa) - O space (ākāśa), O ether

• काशम् (kāśam) - shining, luminous, appearing

• असि (asi) - you are

• निर्मलम् (nirmalam) - pure, spotless, clear

• अच्छम् (accham) - clear, transparent, pure

• उच्चैः-आधार (uccaiḥ-ādhāra) - high support, lofty foundation

• उन्नततया (unnatatayā) - by reason of loftiness, due to exaltedness

• उत्तमम् (uttamam) - best, supreme, excellent

• उत्तमानाम् (uttamānām) - of the excellent, of the best ones

• त्वाम् (tvām) - you (accusative singular)

• एत्य (etya) - having reached, having gone to

• किम् (kim) - but, however, yet

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand

• विरलम् (viralam) - rarely, sparsely, occasionally

• करक-घनः (karaka-ghanaḥ) - hail-cloud

• अयम् (ayam) - this

• लोकम् (lokam) - world, people, region

• विमर्दयति (vimardayati) - crushes, devastates, tramples

• तेन (tena) - by that, therefore, by him/it

• परः (paraḥ) - superior, beyond, highest

• असि (asi) - you are

• नीचैः (nīcaiḥ) - superior to that which is base/lowly (low, below, lowly (adverbial))

Words meanings and morphology

आकाश (ākāśa) - O space (ākāśa), O ether

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of ākāśa

ākāśa - space, ether, sky

काशम् (kāśam) - shining, luminous, appearing

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāśa

kāśa - shining, light, appearance, lustre

Derived from root kāś (to shine, appear)

Root: kāś (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicate adjective to an implied 'tvam'.

असि (asi) - you are

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

निर्मलम् (nirmalam) - pure, spotless, clear

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of nirmala

nirmala - pure, clean, spotless, stainless, clear

nir (without) + mala (dirt, impurity)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (nir+mala)

• nir – without, out of, away from
  prefix
• mala – dirt, impurity, stain, filth
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'kāśam'.

अच्छम् (accham) - clear, transparent, pure

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of accha

accha - clear, transparent, pure, brilliant

Note: Agrees with 'kāśam'.

उच्चैः-आधार (uccaiḥ-ādhāra) - high support, lofty foundation

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of uccaiḥ-ādhāra

uccaiḥ-ādhāra - a high support or basis, lofty foundation

Compound of uccaiḥ (high, lofty) + ādhāra (support)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (uccaiḥ+ādhāra)

• uccaiḥ – high, aloft, loudly, above
  indeclinable
• ādhāra – support, basis, receptacle, container
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from ā-dhṛ (to hold, support)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicate noun to an implied 'tvam'.

उन्नततया (unnatatayā) - by reason of loftiness, due to exaltedness

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of unnatatā

unnatatā - loftiness, elevated state, exaltedness

unnata (elevated) + tā (abstract noun suffix)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (unnata+tā)

• unnata – elevated, high, risen, exalted
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from ut-nam (to rise, lift up)
  Prefix: ut
  Root: nam (class 1)
• tā – suffix for abstract noun (e.g. -ness, -hood)
  suffix (feminine)

उत्तमम् (uttamam) - best, supreme, excellent

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of uttama

uttama - best, highest, supreme, excellent, chief

Derived from ut (up, superior) + -tama (superlative suffix)

Note: Agrees with 'kāśam'.

उत्तमानाम् (uttamānām) - of the excellent, of the best ones

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of uttama

uttama - best, highest, supreme, excellent, chief

Derived from ut (up, superior) + -tama (superlative suffix)

Note: Used here as a noun meaning 'the excellent ones'.

त्वाम् (tvām) - you (accusative singular)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of tvam

tvam - you (singular)

एत्य (etya) - having reached, having gone to

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root i (to go) + -ya suffix (preceded by a prefix, but 'i' can sometimes form with just -ya)

Root: i (class 2)

किम् (kim) - but, however, yet

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as a particle for emphasis or transition.

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

विरलम् (viralam) - rarely, sparsely, occasionally

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of virala

virala - rare, sparse, loose, occasional, separate

Note: Used adverbially here.

करक-घनः (karaka-ghanaḥ) - hail-cloud

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of karaka-ghana

karaka-ghana - a cloud that produces hail, hail-cloud

Compound of karaka (hail) + ghana (cloud)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (karaka+ghana)

• karaka – hail, hailstones
  noun (masculine)
• ghana – cloud, dense, solid, mass
  noun (masculine)

अयम् (ayam) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Note: Refers to 'karaka-ghanaḥ'.

लोकम् (lokam) - world, people, region

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, realm, people, common folk

विमर्दयति (vimardayati) - crushes, devastates, tramples

(verb)

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

Causative form of vi-mṛd

Prefix: vi

Root: mṛd (class 10)

तेन (tena) - by that, therefore, by him/it

(pronoun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'therefore'.

परः (paraḥ) - superior, beyond, highest

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of para

para - other, another, supreme, highest, excellent, subsequent

असि (asi) - you are

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

नीचैः (nīcaiḥ) - superior to that which is base/lowly (low, below, lowly (adverbial))

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially here in the sense of 'to what is low' or 'in relation to what is low'.

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