योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-18, verse-31

चिद्वाचिद्वा यथादर्शो बिम्बितं वाप्यबिम्बितम् ।
नगरं वेत्ति नो वापि तथा ब्रह्म जगत्त्रयम् ॥ ३१ ॥

cidvācidvā yathādarśo bimbitaṃ vāpyabimbitam ,
nagaraṃ vetti no vāpi tathā brahma jagattrayam 31

31. cit vā acit vā yathā ādarśaḥ bimbitam vā api abimbitam
nagaram vetti na u vā api tathā brahma jagattrayam

31. yathā ādarśaḥ cit vā acit vā,
bimbitam vā api abimbitam nagaram na u vā api vetti,
tathā brahma jagattrayam (asti).

31. Just as a mirror, whether it is regarded as conscious or non-conscious, and irrespective of whether a city is reflected in it or not, does not truly 'know' that city, similarly, Brahman (brahman) is the three worlds.

31. כשם שמראה, בין אם היא מודעת ובין אם לאו, אינה תופסת את העיר המשתקפת בה או שאינה משתקפת בה, כך בְּרַהְמַן אינו חווה את שלושת העולמות כדבר הנפרד ממנו.

Words meanings summery:

• चित् (cit) - conscious (conscious, intelligent, consciousness)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

• अचित् (acit) - non-conscious (non-conscious, inanimate, unconscious)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, according to)

• आदर्शः (ādarśaḥ) - a mirror (mirror, reflection, ideal, example)

• बिम्बितम् (bimbitam) - reflected (reflected, imaged, resembling)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

• अपि (api) - even (also, even, too, despite)

• अबिम्बितम् (abimbitam) - not reflected (not reflected, unreflected)

• नगरम् (nagaram) - a city (city, town)

• वेत्ति (vetti) - knows (in the sense of understanding/cognizing) (knows, understands, perceives)

• न उ (na u) - not (not, and not, indeed not)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

• अपि (api) - even (also, even, too, despite)

• तथा (tathā) - similarly (similarly, thus, so, in that manner)

• ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman (brahman), the ultimate reality (Brahman (the Absolute reality), sacred knowledge, prayer)

• जगत्त्रयम् (jagattrayam) - the three worlds (the three worlds, the triple world)

Words meanings and morphology

चित् (cit) - conscious (conscious, intelligent, consciousness)

(adjective)

Nominative, singular of cit

cit - consciousness, intelligence, mind, thought; also (adj) conscious, intelligent

From root cit (to perceive, know)

Root: cit (class 1)

वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

(indeclinable)

अचित् (acit) - non-conscious (non-conscious, inanimate, unconscious)

(adjective)

Nominative, singular of acit

acit - non-conscious, inanimate, unconscious, devoid of intelligence

a (not) + cit (conscious, intelligence)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+cit)

• a – not, un-, in-
  indeclinable
• cit – consciousness, intelligence, mind, thought
  noun (feminine)
  From root cit (to perceive, know)
  Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Qualifies ādarśaḥ.

वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

(indeclinable)

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, according to)

(indeclinable)

From pronominal stem ya + thā suffix

आदर्शः (ādarśaḥ) - a mirror (mirror, reflection, ideal, example)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ādarśa

ādarśa - mirror, reflection, looking glass, ideal, example

ā (towards) + dṛś (to see) + a (suffix)

Prefix: ā

Root: dṛś (class 1)

बिम्बितम् (bimbitam) - reflected (reflected, imaged, resembling)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of bimbita

bimbita - reflected, imaged, resembling, represented

Past Passive Participle

From root bimb (to reflect, resemble) + ita suffix.

Root: bimb (class 10)

वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even (also, even, too, despite)

(indeclinable)

अबिम्बितम् (abimbitam) - not reflected (not reflected, unreflected)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of abimbita

abimbita - not reflected, unreflected

Past Passive Participle

a (not) + bimbita (reflected)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+bimbita)

• a – not, un-, in-
  indeclinable
• bimbita – reflected, imaged, resembling, represented
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Past Passive Particylple
  From root bimb (to reflect, resemble) + ita suffix.
  Root: bimb (class 10)

नगरम् (nagaram) - a city (city, town)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of nagara

nagara - city, town, metropolis

वेत्ति (vetti) - knows (in the sense of understanding/cognizing) (knows, understands, perceives)

(verb)

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

present active

Present tense, 3rd person, singular, active voice from root vid (class 2)

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Main verb for the mirror's action.

न उ (na u) - not (not, and not, indeed not)

(indeclinable)

na + u (particle)

Note: Negation.

वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even (also, even, too, despite)

(indeclinable)

तथा (tathā) - similarly (similarly, thus, so, in that manner)

(indeclinable)

From pronominal stem tad + thā suffix

ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman (brahman), the ultimate reality (Brahman (the Absolute reality), sacred knowledge, prayer)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahman (brahman), the Absolute, the ultimate reality; sacred knowledge, prayer, the Vedas

From root bṛh (to grow, swell).

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative for jagattrayam or subject.

जगत्त्रयम् (jagattrayam) - the three worlds (the three worlds, the triple world)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jagattraya

jagattraya - the three worlds, the triple world (heaven, earth, underworld)

jagat (world) + traya (three)

Compound type : dvigu (jagat+traya)

• jagat – world, universe, people, moving, sentient
  noun (neuter)
  present active participle
  Present active participle of gam (to go), neuter form.
  Root: gam (class 1)
• traya – three, a triad, a group of three
  noun (neuter)
  From tri (three) + ya (suffix)

Note: Predicate nominative for brahma.

Previous Verse Next Verse