योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-168, verse-1

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
अबुद्धिपूर्वमेवागो यथा शाखाविचित्रताम् ।
करोत्येवमजश्चित्राः सर्गाभासः ख एव खम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca ,
abuddhipūrvamevāgo yathā śākhāvicitratām ,
karotyevamajaścitrāḥ sargābhāsaḥ kha eva kham 1

1. śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ uvāca abuddhipūrvam eva agaḥ yathā śākhāvicikratām
karoti evam ajaḥ ca citrāḥ sargābhāsaḥ khaḥ eva kham

1. śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ uvāca yathā agaḥ abuddhipūrvam eva śākhāvicikratām
karoti evam ajaḥ ca citrāḥ sargābhāsaḥ khaḥ eva kham

1. Śrī Vasiṣṭha said: Just as a tree (aga) spontaneously creates a diversity of branches without any prior conscious intention, similarly, the unborn (aja) [Supreme Being] manifests the variegated appearances of creation (sargābhāsa) within space itself (kha eva kham), which is its own nature.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीवसिष्ठः (śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ) - The revered sage Vasiṣṭha. (Shri Vasishtha)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• अबुद्धिपूर्वम् (abuddhipūrvam) - without prior intention, unconsciously, spontaneously

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes the spontaneity. (indeed, only, just)

• अगः (agaḥ) - tree (due to 'branches') (tree, mountain)

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

• शाखाविचिक्रताम् (śākhāvicikratām) - the variegatedness of branches, the diversity of branches

• करोति (karoti) - makes, does, creates

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

• अजः (ajaḥ) - The unborn, referring to the Supreme Being (ātman or brahman). (unborn, not born, goat)

• च (ca) - and, also

• चित्राः (citrāḥ) - Refers to the diverse forms of creation. (variegated, wonderful, diverse)

• सर्गाभासः (sargābhāsaḥ) - the manifestation of diverse creations. (appearance of creation, illusory creation)

• खः (khaḥ) - Refers to the underlying reality (brahman) or the medium of manifestation. (space, ether, brahman)

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes that it is 'space itself'. (indeed, only, just)

• खम् (kham) - In the context 'space in space', it refers to the substrate or container, which is also brahman. (space, ether, brahman)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीवसिष्ठः (śrīvasiṣṭhaḥ) - The revered sage Vasiṣṭha. (Shri Vasishtha)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīvasiṣṭha

śrīvasiṣṭha - an honorific prefix (Shri) + the name of a revered sage (Vasishtha)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (śrī+vasiṣṭha)

• śrī – radiance, prosperity, sacred, an honorific
  indeclinable
• vasiṣṭha – name of a revered Vedic sage
  proper noun (masculine)
  superlative of vasu (good)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense form of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

अबुद्धिपूर्वम् (abuddhipūrvam) - without prior intention, unconsciously, spontaneously

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of abuddhipūrva

abuddhipūrva - without prior intention or consciousness, spontaneous

a (negation) + buddhi (intellect) + pūrva (before)

Compound type : nañ-bahuvrīhi (a+buddhi+pūrva)

• a – not, non, without
  prefix
  negative prefix
• buddhi – intellect, understanding, perception
  noun (feminine)
  from budh (to know)
  Root: budh (class 1)
• pūrva – prior, former, earlier
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Used adverbially.

एव (eva) - Emphasizes the spontaneity. (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

अगः (agaḥ) - tree (due to 'branches') (tree, mountain)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aga

aga - mountain, tree (one that does not move)

a (not) + ga (moving)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+ga)

• a – not, non, without
  prefix
  negative prefix
• ga – going, moving
  adjective (masculine)
  from gam (to go)
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'karoti'.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)

शाखाविचिक्रताम् (śākhāvicikratām) - the variegatedness of branches, the diversity of branches

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śākhāvicikratā

śākhāvicikratā - variegatedness of branches

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śākhā+vicitratā)

• śākhā – branch
  noun (feminine)
• vicitratā – variegatedness, diversity
  noun (feminine)
  from vicitra (variegated) + tā (suffix)
  Prefix: vi
  Root: citr (class 10)

Note: Object of 'karoti'.

करोति (karoti) - makes, does, creates

(verb)

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

Root: kṛ (class 8)

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

(indeclinable)

अजः (ajaḥ) - The unborn, referring to the Supreme Being (ātman or brahman). (unborn, not born, goat)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aja

aja - unborn, not born, goat

a (negation) + ja (born)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+ja)

• a – not, non, without
  prefix
  negative prefix
• ja – born, produced
  adjective (masculine)
  from jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'karoti'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

चित्राः (citrāḥ) - Refers to the diverse forms of creation. (variegated, wonderful, diverse)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of citra

citra - variegated, wonderful, diverse

Root: citr (class 10)

सर्गाभासः (sargābhāsaḥ) - the manifestation of diverse creations. (appearance of creation, illusory creation)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sargābhāsa

sargābhāsa - appearance of creation

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sarga+ābhāsa)

• sarga – creation, emanation, world
  noun (masculine)
  from sṛj (to create)
  Root: sṛj (class 6)
• ābhāsa – appearance, semblance, reflection
  noun (masculine)
  from ā + bhās (to shine)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: bhās (class 1)

Note: Appears as the object of 'karoti', but is in nominative singular. This grammatical irregularity is often found in poetic texts, implying 'which is' or a general phenomenon. It refers to the overall appearance of creation, which is described as 'citrāḥ' (variegated).

खः (khaḥ) - Refers to the underlying reality (brahman) or the medium of manifestation. (space, ether, brahman)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kha

kha - space, ether, void, sky, brahman

एव (eva) - Emphasizes that it is 'space itself'. (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

खम् (kham) - In the context 'space in space', it refers to the substrate or container, which is also brahman. (space, ether, brahman)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kha

kha - space, ether, void, sky, brahman