योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-177, verse-13

श्रीराम उवाच ।
अतज्ज्ञविषये ब्रह्मन्कार्ये कारणसंभवे ।
किमकारणतात्म स्यात्कथं वेति वद प्रभो ॥ १३ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
atajjñaviṣaye brahmankārye kāraṇasaṃbhave ,
kimakāraṇatātma syātkathaṃ veti vada prabho 13

13. śrīrāma uvāca atajjña viṣaye brahman kārye kāraṇa saṃbhave
kim akāraṇatā ātman syāt kathaṃ vā iti vada prabho

13. śrīrāma uvāca.
brahman prabho atajjña viṣaye kārye kāraṇa saṃbhave ātman kim akāraṇatā syāt kathaṃ vā iti vada.

13. Shri Rama said: 'O (brahman), O Lord, in the context of those who lack true knowledge, concerning effects that arise from a cause, how can the (ātman) be without a cause, or how is this possible? Please explain.'

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Lord Rama (Shri Rama)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• अतज्ज्ञ (atajjña) - one who lacks true knowledge (non-knower, ignorant)

• विषये (viṣaye) - in the context, in the realm (in the domain, in the matter, concerning)

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O (brahman), addressing Vasiṣṭha (O Brahmin, O absolute reality (brahman))

• कार्ये (kārye) - concerning effects (in the effect, in the action, regarding the work)

• कारण (kāraṇa) - cause (cause, reason, instrument)

• संभवे (saṁbhave) - in the arising (of cause and effect) (in the arising, in the possibility, in the existence)

• किम् (kim) - how (interrogative adverb) (what, how, why)

• अकारणता (akāraṇatā) - causelessness (causelessness, state of being without a cause)

• आत्मन् (ātman) - the (ātman) (self, soul, (ātman))

• स्यात् (syāt) - can be, would be (would be, might be, should be)

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner)

• वा (vā) - or (or, and)

• इति (iti) - (indicating question) (thus, so, indicating direct speech or an end of an idea)

• वद (vada) - please explain, tell (speak, tell)

• प्रभो (prabho) - O Lord (O Lord, O master)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Lord Rama (Shri Rama)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Lord Rama

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Root: vac (class 2)

अतज्ज्ञ (atajjña) - one who lacks true knowledge (non-knower, ignorant)

(adjective)

singular of atajjña

atajjña - non-knower, ignorant

from a- (not) + tat-jña (knower of that)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+tatjña)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• tatjña – knower of that
  adjective

Note: Modifies 'viṣaye' (realm/context), thus taking locative sense indirectly.

विषये (viṣaye) - in the context, in the realm (in the domain, in the matter, concerning)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of viṣaya

viṣaya - object, domain, sphere, subject matter

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O (brahman), addressing Vasiṣṭha (O Brahmin, O absolute reality (brahman))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - a Brahmin; the absolute reality (brahman)

कार्ये (kārye) - concerning effects (in the effect, in the action, regarding the work)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - to be done, effect, action, work

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

from kṛ + ya

Root: kṛ (class 8)

कारण (kāraṇa) - cause (cause, reason, instrument)

(noun)

neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument

from kṛ + ana

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: First part of the compound 'kāraṇa-saṃbhave'.

संभवे (saṁbhave) - in the arising (of cause and effect) (in the arising, in the possibility, in the existence)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃbhava

saṁbhava - arising, birth, origin, possibility, occurrence

from sam-bhū

Prefix: sam

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Locative singular. Forms a compound with 'kāraṇa' as 'kāraṇa-saṃbhava'.

किम् (kim) - how (interrogative adverb) (what, how, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an interrogative particle/adverb.

अकारणता (akāraṇatā) - causelessness (causelessness, state of being without a cause)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of akāraṇatā

akāraṇatā - causelessness, state of being without a cause

from a- + kāraṇa + -tā (suffix for abstract noun)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kāraṇatā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• kāraṇatā – causality, state of being a cause
  noun (feminine)
  kāraṇa + -tā

आत्मन् (ātman) - the (ātman) (self, soul, (ātman))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, (ātman)

स्यात् (syāt) - can be, would be (would be, might be, should be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of as

optative mood, 3rd person singular

Root: as (class 2)

कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or (or, and)

(indeclinable)

इति (iti) - (indicating question) (thus, so, indicating direct speech or an end of an idea)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the end of a question or statement.

वद (vada) - please explain, tell (speak, tell)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (lot) of vad

imperative mood, 2nd person singular

Root: vad (class 1)

प्रभो (prabho) - O Lord (O Lord, O master)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of prabhu

prabhu - lord, master, powerful

Prefix: pra

Root: bhū (class 1)