योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-138, verse-23

श्रीराम उवाच ।
मनः प्राणवशादेव मनुते किं महामुने ।
स्वरूपं मनसो नास्ति तस्मात्तत्केवलं च किम् ॥ २३ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
manaḥ prāṇavaśādeva manute kiṃ mahāmune ,
svarūpaṃ manaso nāsti tasmāttatkevalaṃ ca kim 23

23. śrīrāma uvāca manaḥ prāṇavaśāt eva manute kim mahāmune
svarūpam manasaḥ na asti tasmāt tat kevalam ca kim

23. śrīrāma uvāca mahāmune kim manaḥ prāṇavaśāt eva manute
manasaḥ svarūpam na asti tasmāt tat ca kevalam kim

23. Shri Rama said: "O great sage, does the mind (manas) think only by the influence (vaśa) of the life-breath (prāṇa)? The mind (manas) has no intrinsic nature (sva-rūpa); therefore, what then is that (mind) by itself (kevalam)?"

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Shri Rama

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• मनः (manaḥ) - mind, intellect

• प्राणवशात् (prāṇavaśāt) - by the influence/power of the life-breath

• एव (eva) - only, indeed

• मनुते (manute) - thinks, believes, perceives

• किम् (kim) - what? (interrogative particle)

• महामुने (mahāmune) - Address to Vasistha (O great sage!)

• स्वरूपम् (svarūpam) - own form, true nature, essential nature

• मनसः (manasaḥ) - of the mind

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

• तत् (tat) - referring to the mind (manas) (that, it)

• केवलम् (kevalam) - what is that (mind) by itself? (mere, pure, isolated, by itself)

• च (ca) - and, also

• किम् (kim) - what? (interrogative pronoun)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Shri Rama

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Shri Rama (proper name)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice. Root 'vac'.

Root: vac (class 2)

मनः (manaḥ) - mind, intellect

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of manas

manas - mind, intellect, thought, understanding (manas)

Root: man (class 4)

प्राणवशात् (prāṇavaśāt) - by the influence/power of the life-breath

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of prāṇavaśa

prāṇavaśa - power/influence of the life-breath

Compound 'prāṇa' (life-breath) + 'vaśa' (power, control). Ablative singular.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (prāṇa+vaśa)

• prāṇa – life-breath, vital energy (prāṇa)
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: an (class 2)
• vaśa – power, control, will, influence
  noun (masculine)
  Root: vaś (class 2)

एव (eva) - only, indeed

(indeclinable)

मनुते (manute) - thinks, believes, perceives

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (lat) of man

Present tense, 3rd person singular, middle voice. Root 'man' (class 4).

Root: man (class 4)

किम् (kim) - what? (interrogative particle)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an interrogative particle here.

महामुने (mahāmune) - Address to Vasistha (O great sage!)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahāmuni

mahāmuni - great sage, great ascetic

Compound 'mahā' (great) + 'muni' (sage). Masculine vocative singular.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mahā+muni)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective (masculine)
• muni – sage, ascetic, contemplative (muni)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: man (class 4)

स्वरूपम् (svarūpam) - own form, true nature, essential nature

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of svarūpa

svarūpa - own form, true nature, essential quality

Compound 'sva' (own) + 'rūpa' (form, nature). Neuter nominative singular.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+rūpa)

• sva – own, self
  pronoun (masculine)
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance, nature
  noun (neuter)

मनसः (manasaḥ) - of the mind

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of manas

manas - mind, intellect, thought, understanding (manas)

Root: man (class 4)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

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

Present tense, 3rd person singular, active voice. Root 'as'.

Root: as (class 2)

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

(indeclinable)

Ablative form of 'tad' (that), used as an indeclinable.

तत् (tat) - referring to the mind (manas) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

केवलम् (kevalam) - what is that (mind) by itself? (mere, pure, isolated, by itself)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kevala

kevala - alone, mere, pure, exclusive, by itself

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

किम् (kim) - what? (interrogative pronoun)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what? which? who?

Note: Used as an interrogative pronoun here, asking about the nature of the mind.