योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-116, verse-16

आकाश कर्षकष एव निकर्षणं ते मन्ये चिरं समचितं न तु किंचिदन्यत् ।
शून्योऽसि यज्जलधरर्क्षविमानचन्द्रसूर्यानिलान्वहसि भासि न चार्थशून्यः ॥ १६ ॥

ākāśa karṣakaṣa eva nikarṣaṇaṃ te manye ciraṃ samacitaṃ na tu kiṃcidanyat ,
śūnyo'si yajjaladhararkṣavimānacandrasūryānilānvahasi bhāsi na cārthaśūnyaḥ 16

16. ākāśa karṣa-kaṣa eva nikarṣaṇam te manye
ciram sama-citam na tu kiñcit anyat | śūnyaḥ
asi yat jala-dhara-ṛkṣa-vimāna-candra-sūrya-anilān
vahasi bhāsi na ca artha-śūnyaḥ ||

16. ākāśa! te nikarṣaṇam ciram sama-citam karṣa-kaṣa eva manye,
kiñcit anyat na tu.
yat [tvam] śūnyaḥ asi,
[tathāpi tvam] jala-dhara-ṛkṣa-vimāna-candra-sūrya-anilān vahasi,
bhāsi ca.
na ca artha-śūnyaḥ.

16. O space (ākāśa), I consider your long-term degradation to be merely a constant, uniform attrition, and nothing else. Though you are empty, you carry clouds, stars, celestial chariots, the moon, the sun, and winds, and you shine, proving that you are not devoid of purpose (artha).

Words meanings summery:

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

• कर्ष-कष (karṣa-kaṣa) - constant rubbing/friction (from pulling/dragging), attrition

• एव (eva) - only, indeed, certainly

• निकर्षणम् (nikarṣaṇam) - degradation, attrition, pulling down

• ते (te) - your, of you

• मन्ये (manye) - I think, I believe, I consider

• चिरम् (ciram) - for a long time, prolonged, enduring

• सम-चितम् (sama-citam) - uniformly perceived, evenly composed, uniform

• न (na) - not, no

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything, something, a little

• अन्यत् (anyat) - other, another

• शून्यः (śūnyaḥ) - empty, void

• असि (asi) - you are

• यत् (yat) - because, that (conjunction)

• जल-धर-ऋक्ष-विमान-चन्द्र-सूर्य-अनिलान् (jala-dhara-ṛkṣa-vimāna-candra-sūrya-anilān) - clouds, stars, celestial chariots, moon, sun, and winds

• वहसि (vahasi) - you carry, you bear, you convey

• भासि (bhāsi) - you shine, you appear, you are luminous

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also

• अर्थ-शून्यः (artha-śūnyaḥ) - devoid of purpose (artha), meaningless

Words meanings and morphology

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

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of ākāśa

ākāśa - space, ether, sky

कर्ष-कष (karṣa-kaṣa) - constant rubbing/friction (from pulling/dragging), attrition

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of karṣakaṣa

karṣakaṣa - friction caused by pulling/dragging, constant wear and tear, attrition

Compound of karṣa (pulling, dragging) + kaṣa (rubbing, friction)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (karṣa+kaṣa)

• karṣa – pulling, drawing, dragging, ploughing
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root kṛṣ (to pull)
  Root: kṛṣ (class 1)
• kaṣa – rubbing, friction, abrasion, a touchstone
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root kaṣ (to rub)
  Root: kaṣ (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicate to 'nikarṣaṇam'.

एव (eva) - only, indeed, certainly

(indeclinable)

निकर्षणम् (nikarṣaṇam) - degradation, attrition, pulling down

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of nikarṣaṇa

nikarṣaṇa - drawing down, degradation, attrition, contempt

Noun of action

Derived from ni-kṛṣ (to pull down, degrade)

Prefix: ni

Root: kṛṣ (class 1)

ते (te) - your, of you

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of tvam

tvam - you (singular)

मन्ये (manye) - I think, I believe, I consider

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of man

Root: man (class 4)

चिरम् (ciram) - for a long time, prolonged, enduring

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cira

cira - long, lasting, ancient, old; for a long time (as adverb)

Note: Used here as an adjective modifying 'nikarṣaṇam'.

सम-चितम् (sama-citam) - uniformly perceived, evenly composed, uniform

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of samacita

samacita - evenly collected, uniformly observed/perceived, evenly composed

Past Passive Participle

Compound of sama (uniform, equal) + cita (collected, perceived, from root ci)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sama+cita)

• sama – same, equal, uniform, even
  adjective (masculine)
• cita – collected, accumulated, heaped, perceived, understood
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root ci (to collect, pile, perceive)
  Root: ci (class 5)

Note: Agrees with 'karṣakaṣa' or 'nikarṣaṇam'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything, something, a little

(indeclinable)

अन्यत् (anyat) - other, another

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anya

anya - other, another, different

शून्यः (śūnyaḥ) - empty, void

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śūnya

śūnya - empty, void, hollow, vacant, zero

असि (asi) - you are

(verb)

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

Root: as (class 2)

यत् (yat) - because, that (conjunction)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here as a causal conjunction.

जल-धर-ऋक्ष-विमान-चन्द्र-सूर्य-अनिलान् (jala-dhara-ṛkṣa-vimāna-candra-sūrya-anilān) - clouds, stars, celestial chariots, moon, sun, and winds

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of jala-dhara-ṛkṣa-vimāna-candra-sūrya-anila

jala-dhara-ṛkṣa-vimāna-candra-sūrya-anila - a collection of clouds, stars, celestial chariots, moon, sun, and winds

Dvandva compound enumerating atmospheric and celestial bodies

Compound type : dvandva (jaladhara+ṛkṣa+vimāna+candra+sūrya+anila)

• jaladhara – cloud (water-bearer)
  noun (masculine)
  jala (water) + dhara (bearer)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• ṛkṣa – star, constellation, bear
  noun (neuter)
• vimāna – celestial chariot, aerial car, airplane, temple
  noun (neuter)
• candra – moon, luminous, shining
  noun (masculine)
• sūrya – sun, sun god
  noun (masculine)
• anila – wind, air, wind god
  noun (masculine)

वहसि (vahasi) - you carry, you bear, you convey

(verb)

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

Root: vah (class 1)

भासि (bhāsi) - you shine, you appear, you are luminous

(verb)

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

Root: bhā (class 2)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अर्थ-शून्यः (artha-śūnyaḥ) - devoid of purpose (artha), meaningless

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of artha-śūnya

artha-śūnya - devoid of meaning or purpose, useless

Compound of artha (purpose, meaning) + śūnya (empty)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (artha+śūnya)

• artha – purpose, meaning, object, wealth, value
  noun (masculine)
• śūnya – empty, void, hollow, devoid of
  adjective (masculine)

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