योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-144, verse-3

यद्यथा पुरसंस्थानं चिरैरेति तदन्यताम् ।
जगदप्येवमनिशं वार्यावर्तविवर्तवत् ॥ ३ ॥

yadyathā purasaṃsthānaṃ ciraireti tadanyatām ,
jagadapyevamaniśaṃ vāryāvartavivartavat 3

3. yat yathā purasaṃsthānam ciraiḥ eti tat anyatām
jagat api evam aniśam vāryāvartavivartavat

3. yat purasaṃsthānam ciraiḥ yathā anyatām eti
jagat api evam aniśam vāryāvartavivartavat

3. Just as the structure of a city, over long periods of time, attains a different state, so also the world incessantly transforms, like the continuous swirling of whirlpools.

Words meanings summery:

• यत् (yat) - whatever (which, whatever, that which)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, in what manner)

• पुरसंस्थानम् (purasaṁsthānam) - the structure of a city (city structure, urban arrangement)

• चिरैः (ciraiḥ) - over long periods of time (by long periods, by ages)

• एति (eti) - attains, undergoes (goes, comes, attains, reaches)

• तत् (tat) - it (the city structure) (that, it)

• अन्यताम् (anyatām) - a different state, transformation (to otherness, to a different state)

• जगत् (jagat) - the world (world, universe, moving)

• अपि (api) - also (also, too, even)

• एवम् (evam) - so (too) (thus, in this manner, so)

• अनिशम् (aniśam) - incessantly (incessantly, continuously, day and night)

• वार्यावर्तविवर्तवत् (vāryāvartavivartavat) - like the continuous swirling of whirlpools (like the turning of water-whirlpools, having the nature of a water-whirlpool's turning)

Words meanings and morphology

यत् (yat) - whatever (which, whatever, that which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, whatever, that which

Note: Subject of the 'yathā' clause.

यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction for comparison.

पुरसंस्थानम् (purasaṁsthānam) - the structure of a city (city structure, urban arrangement)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of purasaṃsthāna

purasaṁsthāna - city structure, urban arrangement, form of a city

Tatpuruṣa compound: purasya saṃsthānam

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pura+saṃsthāna)

• pura – city, town, fortress
  noun (neuter)
• saṃsthāna – form, shape, structure, configuration, arrangement
  noun (neuter)
  from root 'sthā' with prefix 'sam'
  Prefix: sam
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject.

चिरैः (ciraiḥ) - over long periods of time (by long periods, by ages)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of cira

cira - long time, ancient, old

Note: Indicates duration or means.

एति (eti) - attains, undergoes (goes, comes, attains, reaches)

(verb)

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

present indicative, 3rd person singular

root 'i' (class 2), present indicative, parasmaipada

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Verb for the transformation.

तत् (tat) - it (the city structure) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, this

Note: Refers back to 'purasaṃsthānam'.

अन्यताम् (anyatām) - a different state, transformation (to otherness, to a different state)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of anyatā

anyatā - otherness, difference, alteration, a different state

from 'anya' (other) + suffix '-tā'

Note: Object of 'eti' in the sense of 'attains'.

जगत् (jagat) - the world (world, universe, moving)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jagat

jagat - world, universe, moving, living beings

present active participle (from gam), used as noun

from root 'gam' (to go), neuter singular nominative.

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Subject of the main clause.

अपि (api) - also (also, too, even)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic or connective particle.

एवम् (evam) - so (too) (thus, in this manner, so)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of manner, referring to the comparison.

अनिशम् (aniśam) - incessantly (incessantly, continuously, day and night)

(indeclinable)

adverbial form of 'aniśa' (without night)

Compound type : avyayībhāva (a+niśā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• niśā – night
  noun (feminine)

Note: Adverb of time.

वार्यावर्तविवर्तवत् (vāryāvartavivartavat) - like the continuous swirling of whirlpools (like the turning of water-whirlpools, having the nature of a water-whirlpool's turning)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vāryāvartavivartavat

vāryāvartavivartavat - like the turning/transformation of water-whirlpools, having the likeness of a water-whirlpool's revolution

adjective formed by adding the suffix '-vat' to the compound 'vāryāvartavivarta'

Compound type : pratyayānta (adjective) (vāryāvartavivarta+vat)

• vāryāvartavivarta – the turning of water-whirlpools
  noun (masculine)
  Tatpuruṣa compound meaning 'turning of water-whirlpools'
• vat – like, similar to
  indeclinable
  suffix indicating comparison