योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-161, verse-34

तदेवाकाशमात्रात्म यद्यविद्येति कथ्यते ।
तद्यदास्ते तदेवाहं बन्धः स्वकलनात्मकः ॥ ३४ ॥

tadevākāśamātrātma yadyavidyeti kathyate ,
tadyadāste tadevāhaṃ bandhaḥ svakalanātmakaḥ 34

34. tat eva ākāśamātrātman yadi avidyā iti kathyate
tat yadā āste tat eva aham bandhaḥ svakalanaātmakaḥ

34. yadi tat eva ākāśamātrātman avidyā iti kathyate
tat yadā āste tat eva aham svakalanaātmakaḥ bandhaḥ

34. If that very reality, whose essential nature (ātman) is merely space (ākāśa), is called ignorance (avidyā), then when that (ignorance) exists, I myself am that, which is bondage (bandha), characterized by self-conception.

Words meanings summery:

• तत् (tat) - that (reality/consciousness) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

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

• आकाशमात्रात्मन् (ākāśamātrātman) - whose essential nature (ātman) is merely space (ākāśa) (whose nature is merely space, having space alone as its self/essence)

• यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case)

• अविद्या (avidyā) - ignorance (avidyā) (ignorance, nescience, spiritual ignorance)

• इति (iti) - as (introducing what it is called) (thus, so, a marker of direct speech or quotation)

• कथ्यते (kathyate) - is called, is designated (is said, is told, is called)

• तत् (tat) - that (ignorance/avidyā) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

• यदा (yadā) - when (when, at which time)

• आस्ते (āste) - exists (sits, stays, exists, remains)

• तत् (tat) - that (ignorance/avidyā) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

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

• अहम् (aham) - I myself (I)

• बन्धः (bandhaḥ) - bondage (bandha) (bondage, fetter, binding, imprisonment)

• स्वकलनआत्मकः (svakalanaātmakaḥ) - characterized by self-conception (whose nature is self-conception/self-limitation, consisting of self-conception)

Words meanings and morphology

तत् (tat) - that (reality/consciousness) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, this

Note: Refers to the underlying reality.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for emphasis.

आकाशमात्रात्मन् (ākāśamātrātman) - whose essential nature (ātman) is merely space (ākāśa) (whose nature is merely space, having space alone as its self/essence)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ākāśamātrātman

ākāśamātrātman - whose nature is merely space, having space alone as its self/essence

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ākāśa+mātra+ātman)

• ākāśa – sky, ether, space
  noun (masculine)
• mātra – mere, only, purely, consisting only of
  adjective (neuter)
• ātman – self, soul, essence, nature
  noun (masculine)

Note: Qualifies `tat`.

यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case)

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a conditional clause.

अविद्या (avidyā) - ignorance (avidyā) (ignorance, nescience, spiritual ignorance)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of avidyā

avidyā - ignorance, nescience, non-knowledge, illusion

Compound of a- (negation) + vidyā (knowledge)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vidyā)

• a – not, non-, un- (negating prefix)
  prefix
• vidyā – knowledge, science, learning
  noun (feminine)
  Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Subject in the conditional clause.

इति (iti) - as (introducing what it is called) (thus, so, a marker of direct speech or quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used to mark the predicate `avidyā`.

कथ्यते (kathyate) - is called, is designated (is said, is told, is called)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (lat) of kath

Present, 3rd person, singular, passive voice

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: Verb for the conditional clause.

तत् (tat) - that (ignorance/avidyā) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, this

Note: Refers back to `avidyā`.

यदा (yadā) - when (when, at which time)

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a temporal clause.

आस्ते (āste) - exists (sits, stays, exists, remains)

(verb)

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

Present, 3rd person, singular, middle voice

Root: ās (class 2)

Note: Verb for the temporal clause.

तत् (tat) - that (ignorance/avidyā) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, this

Note: Corresponds to `yadā`.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for emphasis.

अहम् (aham) - I myself (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we (first person pronoun)

Note: Subject of the main clause.

बन्धः (bandhaḥ) - bondage (bandha) (bondage, fetter, binding, imprisonment)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bandha

bandha - bondage, fetter, binding, imprisonment

Derived from root bandh (to bind)

Root: bandh (class 9)

Note: Predicate for `aham`.

स्वकलनआत्मकः (svakalanaātmakaḥ) - characterized by self-conception (whose nature is self-conception/self-limitation, consisting of self-conception)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of svakalanaātmaka

svakalanaātmaka - whose nature is self-conception, consisting of self-limitation

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (svakalana+ātmaka)

• svakalana – self-conception, self-limitation, imagining oneself
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from sva (self) and kalana (calculating, imagining)
• ātmaka – having the nature of, consisting of, characterized by
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix -ka added to ātman

Note: Qualifies `bandhaḥ`.

Previous Verse Next Verse