योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-149, verse-41

वात्यावर्तवदाभातमिदं प्रथममाततम् ।
असदेव यथा भातं तथैवाद्यापि संस्थितम् ॥ ४१ ॥

vātyāvartavadābhātamidaṃ prathamamātatam ,
asadeva yathā bhātaṃ tathaivādyāpi saṃsthitam 41

41. vātyāvartavat ābhātam idam prathamam ātatam asat
eva yathā bhātam tathā eva adyāpi saṃsthitam

41. idam prathamam vātyāvartavat ābhātam ātatam
yathā asat eva bhātam tathā eva adyāpi saṃsthitam

41. This (universe), which first manifested and spread out like a whirlwind, appeared as if it were non-existent (asat); it remains in that very same state even now.

Words meanings summery:

• वात्यावर्तवत् (vātyāvartavat) - like a whirlwind, resembling a hurricane

• आभातम् (ābhātam) - appeared, manifested, shone forth

• इदम् (idam) - this phenomenal world or manifestation (this, this (universe/appearance))

• प्रथमम् (prathamam) - first, originally, at the beginning

• आततम् (ātatam) - extended, spread out, manifested

• असत् (asat) - as if it were non-existent, without reality (non-existent, unreal, false)

• एव (eva) - used here to mean 'as if' or 'merely' (only, just, indeed, as if)

• यथा (yathā) - just as, in which way, as

• भातम् (bhātam) - appeared, manifested, seemed

• तथा (tathā) - in the same manner of seeming non-existence (just so, in that manner, so)

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed, precisely

• अद्यापि (adyāpi) - even today, still, yet, even now

• संस्थितम् (saṁsthitam) - remains, is situated, is established

Words meanings and morphology

वात्यावर्तवत् (vātyāvartavat) - like a whirlwind, resembling a hurricane

(indeclinable)

Compound of `vātyāvarta` (whirlwind) with the possessive/similative suffix `vat` (like).

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (vātyā+āvarta)

• vātyā – whirlwind, hurricane, tempest
  noun (feminine)
  From `vāta` (wind) + suffix `yā`.
  Root: vā (class 2)
• āvarta – whirlpool, eddy, turning, revolution
  noun (masculine)
  From `ā` (towards) + root `vṛt` (to turn) + suffix `a`.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Adverb of comparison.

आभातम् (ābhātam) - appeared, manifested, shone forth

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ābhāta

ābhāta - appeared, manifested, shone, illumined, seemed

Past Passive Participle

From `ā` (towards, thoroughly) + root `bhā` (to shine, appear) with suffix `kta`.

Prefix: ā

Root: bhā (class 2)

इदम् (idam) - this phenomenal world or manifestation (this, this (universe/appearance))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, here, it

Demonstrative pronoun stem. Neuter nominative singular form.

Note: Subject of the sentence.

प्रथमम् (prathamam) - first, originally, at the beginning

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of prathama

prathama - first, foremost, primary, original

From root `prath` (to spread, expand) or `pra` + `sthā` (to stand forth).

Root: prath

Note: Specifies the temporal aspect of its manifestation.

आततम् (ātatam) - extended, spread out, manifested

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ātata

ātata - extended, stretched, spread out, diffused, manifested

Past Passive Participle

From `ā` (towards, thoroughly) + root `tan` (to stretch, spread) with suffix `kta`.

Prefix: ā

Root: tan (class 8)

Note: Describes the expansive nature of the manifestation.

असत् (asat) - as if it were non-existent, without reality (non-existent, unreal, false)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, false, untrue, evil

Present Active Participle

Negative compound of `a` (not) and `sat` (existent), which is the present participle of root `as` (to be).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• sat – existing, being, real, true, good
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  From root `as` (to be) + suffix `śatṛ`.
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Predicate adjective, describing `idam` (implicitly).

एव (eva) - used here to mean 'as if' or 'merely' (only, just, indeed, as if)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

यथा (yathā) - just as, in which way, as

(indeclinable)

Correlative adverb.

भातम् (bhātam) - appeared, manifested, seemed

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhāta

bhāta - appeared, seemed, shone, manifested

Past Passive Participle

From root `bhā` (to shine, appear) with suffix `kta`.

Root: bhā (class 2)

Note: Describes the initial appearance.

तथा (tathā) - in the same manner of seeming non-existence (just so, in that manner, so)

(indeclinable)

From `tad` (that) + suffix `thā` (indicating manner).

Note: Adverb of manner.

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed, precisely

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

अद्यापि (adyāpi) - even today, still, yet, even now

(indeclinable)

Compound of `adya` (today) and `api` (even).

Compound type : avyayībhāva (adya+api)

• adya – today, now
  indeclinable
  From `idam` (this) + suffix `dyā` (day).
• api – also, even, too
  indeclinable

Note: Temporal adverb.

संस्थितम् (saṁsthitam) - remains, is situated, is established

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of saṃsthita

saṁsthita - standing together, situated, abiding, existing, established, firm

Past Passive Participle

From `sam` (together, thoroughly) + root `sthā` (to stand) with suffix `kta`.

Prefix: sam

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicate adjective, implying 'is remaining'.