योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-116, verse-70

हे काक कर्कशरव क्रकचैकचिह्न तादृक्स्वशङ्कनमपि क्व नु तेऽद्य यातम् ।
कस्मादनर्थकमिदं पिकपाकमेकपुत्राशया तदपि ते ह्युपहाससिद्ध्यै ॥ ७० ॥

he kāka karkaśarava krakacaikacihna tādṛksvaśaṅkanamapi kva nu te'dya yātam ,
kasmādanarthakamidaṃ pikapākamekaputrāśayā tadapi te hyupahāsasiddhyai 70

70. he kāka karkaśa-rava krakaca-eka-cihna
tādṛk sva-śaṅkanam api kva nu te adya yātam
kasmāt anarthakam idam pika-pākam
eka-putra-āśayā tad api te hi upahāsa-siddhyai

70. he kāka! karkaśa-rava! krakaca-eka-cihna! tādṛk te sva-śaṅkanam api adya kva nu yātam? kasmāt idam anarthakam pika-pākam (karoti)? eka-putra-āśayā tad api hi te upahāsa-siddhyai.

70. Oh crow, whose only distinguishing mark is your harsh, saw-like caw! Where has such self-doubt of yours vanished today? Why do you uselessly raise cuckoo offspring, even with the hope of having a single son? This act, indeed, only serves to make you an object of ridicule.

Words meanings summery:

• हे (he) - Direct address to the crow. (O!, alas! (vocative particle))

• काक (kāka) - The addressed crow. (crow (vocative singular))

• कर्कश-रव (karkaśa-rava) - Referring to the crow's unpleasant voice. (O harsh-sounding one, O one with a rough cry (vocative singular))

• क्रकच-एक-चिह्न (krakaca-eka-cihna) - Describing the crow as having a distinctive mark like a saw, likely referring to its harsh voice again or appearance. (O one whose only mark is a saw (vocative singular))

• तादृक् (tādṛk) - Referring to 'such self-doubt.' (such, of that kind)

• स्व-शङ्कनम् (sva-śaṅkanam) - The crow's own apprehension or hesitation, which it seems to have lost. (self-doubt, one's own doubt)

• अपि (api) - Emphasizing that even its self-doubt is gone. (also, even, too)

• क्व (kva) - An interrogative adverb, asking about location. (where?)

• नु (nu) - Adds emphasis or a questioning tone. (now, indeed, then (interrogative particle))

• ते (te) - Genitive, referring to 'your' self-doubt. (your, to you, by you (genitive/dative/instrumental singular of 'tvad'))

• अद्य (adya) - Indicating present time. (today, now)

• यातम् (yātam) - Implies that the self-doubt has disappeared. (gone, departed, reached)

• कस्मात् (kasmāt) - Asking for the reason or cause. (from what? why?)

• अनर्थकम् (anarthakam) - Describing the action of fostering cuckoo eggs as pointless. (useless, meaningless, vain)

• इदम् (idam) - Referring to 'this cuckoo fostering.' (this (neuter nominative singular))

• पिक-पाकम् (pika-pākam) - The act of raising cuckoo offspring, which crows are known to do inadvertently. (fostering cuckoos, maturing cuckoos)

• एक-पुत्र-आशया (eka-putra-āśayā) - The motivation behind the crow's action, hoping to raise a son. (with the desire for a single son)

• तद् (tad) - Refers back to the act of fostering cuckoos. (that, therefore, indeed)

• अपि (api) - Emphasizes that even this (fostering) is for ridicule. (also, even, too)

• ते (te) - Dative, 'for you.' (for you, your (dative/genitive singular of 'tvad'))

• हि (hi) - Emphasizing the truth of the statement. (indeed, for, because)

• उपहास-सिद्ध्यै (upahāsa-siddhyai) - The ultimate outcome and purpose of the crow's actions. (for the accomplishment of ridicule, for ridicule's sake)

Words meanings and morphology

हे (he) - Direct address to the crow. (O!, alas! (vocative particle))

(indeclinable)

काक (kāka) - The addressed crow. (crow (vocative singular))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of kāka

kāka - crow

कर्कश-रव (karkaśa-rava) - Referring to the crow's unpleasant voice. (O harsh-sounding one, O one with a rough cry (vocative singular))

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of karkaśa-rava

karkaśa-rava - harsh sound, rough cry

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (karkaśa+rava)

• karkaśa – harsh, rough, hard, cruel
  adjective (masculine)
• rava – sound, cry, noise
  noun (masculine)
  From root √ru (to cry, sound)
  Root: ru (class 2)

क्रकच-एक-चिह्न (krakaca-eka-cihna) - Describing the crow as having a distinctive mark like a saw, likely referring to its harsh voice again or appearance. (O one whose only mark is a saw (vocative singular))

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of krakaca-eka-cihna

krakaca-eka-cihna - one whose only mark is a saw

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (krakaca+eka+cihna)

• krakaca – saw
  noun (masculine)
• eka – one, single, sole
  adjective (masculine)
• cihna – mark, sign, token, symbol
  noun (neuter)

तादृक् (tādṛk) - Referring to 'such self-doubt.' (such, of that kind)

(adjective)

Nominative, singular of tādṛś

tādṛś - such, of that kind

Note: Acts as an adjective for 'sva-śaṅkanam' (neuter). The ending 'k' (from 'ś') is the sandhi form.

स्व-शङ्कनम् (sva-śaṅkanam) - The crow's own apprehension or hesitation, which it seems to have lost. (self-doubt, one's own doubt)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sva-śaṅkana

sva-śaṅkana - self-doubt, one's own doubt

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+śaṅkana)

• sva – one's own, self
  pronoun (neuter)
• śaṅkana – doubting, apprehension, hesitation
  noun (neuter)
  action noun
  From root √śaṅk (to doubt, fear)
  Root: śaṅk (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'yātam'.

अपि (api) - Emphasizing that even its self-doubt is gone. (also, even, too)

(indeclinable)

क्व (kva) - An interrogative adverb, asking about location. (where?)

(indeclinable)

नु (nu) - Adds emphasis or a questioning tone. (now, indeed, then (interrogative particle))

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - Genitive, referring to 'your' self-doubt. (your, to you, by you (genitive/dative/instrumental singular of 'tvad'))

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of tvad

tvad - you

Note: Enclitic form of 2nd person pronoun.

अद्य (adya) - Indicating present time. (today, now)

(indeclinable)

Note: Temporal adverb.

यातम् (yātam) - Implies that the self-doubt has disappeared. (gone, departed, reached)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yāta

yāta - gone, departed, reached, moved

Past Passive Participle

From root √yā (to go, move)

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'sva-śaṅkanam'.

कस्मात् (kasmāt) - Asking for the reason or cause. (from what? why?)

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - what?, who?, which?

Note: Functions as an interrogative adverb.

अनर्थकम् (anarthakam) - Describing the action of fostering cuckoo eggs as pointless. (useless, meaningless, vain)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anarthaka

anarthaka - useless, meaningless, vain, futile

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (an+artha+ka)

• an – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• artha – purpose, meaning, wealth, object
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'pika-pākam'.

इदम् (idam) - Referring to 'this cuckoo fostering.' (this (neuter nominative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

पिक-पाकम् (pika-pākam) - The act of raising cuckoo offspring, which crows are known to do inadvertently. (fostering cuckoos, maturing cuckoos)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pika-pāka

pika-pāka - the fostering/maturing of cuckoos

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pika+pāka)

• pika – cuckoo
  noun (masculine)
• pāka – cooking, ripening, maturing, fostering
  noun (masculine)
  action noun
  From root √pac (to cook, ripen)
  Root: pac (class 1)

Note: Used as object of implied verb 'karoti' or predicate nominative.

एक-पुत्र-आशया (eka-putra-āśayā) - The motivation behind the crow's action, hoping to raise a son. (with the desire for a single son)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of eka-putra-āśā

eka-putra-āśā - hope/desire for a single son

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (eka+putra+āśā)

• eka – one, single
  numeral (masculine)
• putra – son
  noun (masculine)
• āśā – hope, desire, expectation
  noun (feminine)

Note: Indicates the reason or means.

तद् (tad) - Refers back to the act of fostering cuckoos. (that, therefore, indeed)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, then, therefore

अपि (api) - Emphasizes that even this (fostering) is for ridicule. (also, even, too)

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - Dative, 'for you.' (for you, your (dative/genitive singular of 'tvad'))

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of tvad

tvad - you

Note: Enclitic form of 2nd person pronoun.

हि (hi) - Emphasizing the truth of the statement. (indeed, for, because)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

उपहास-सिद्ध्यै (upahāsa-siddhyai) - The ultimate outcome and purpose of the crow's actions. (for the accomplishment of ridicule, for ridicule's sake)

(noun)

Dative, feminine, singular of upahāsa-siddhi

upahāsa-siddhi - accomplishment of ridicule, success in mockery

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (upahāsa+siddhi)

• upahāsa – ridicule, mockery, derision
  noun (masculine)
  action noun
  From root √has (to laugh) with prefix 'upa'
  Prefix: upa
  Root: has (class 1)
• siddhi – accomplishment, success, attainment
  noun (feminine)

Note: Indicates purpose.

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