योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-183, verse-2

एकैव सप्तद्वीपास्ति वसुधा यत्र तत्र ते ।
सप्तद्वीपेश्वरा अष्टौ भवन्ति कथमुत्तमाः ॥ २ ॥

ekaiva saptadvīpāsti vasudhā yatra tatra te ,
saptadvīpeśvarā aṣṭau bhavanti kathamuttamāḥ 2

2. ekā eva saptadvīpā asti vasudhā yatra tatra te
saptadvīpeśvarāḥ aṣṭau bhavanti katham uttamāḥ

2. yatra ekā eva saptadvīpā vasudhā asti tatra te
aṣṭau saptadvīpeśvarāḥ katham uttamāḥ bhavanti

2. When there is only one Earth consisting of seven continents, how can there be eight excellent lords of these seven continents?

Words meanings summery:

• एका (ekā) - only one (one, single, alone)

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

• सप्तद्वीपा (saptadvīpā) - consisting of seven continents (having seven continents/islands)

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• वसुधा (vasudhā) - the Earth (earth, ground)

• यत्र (yatra) - when, where (introducing a condition) (where, in which place, when)

• तत्र (tatra) - then, in that situation (there, in that place)

• ते (te) - those (lords) (they, those)

• सप्तद्वीपेश्वराः (saptadvīpeśvarāḥ) - lords of the seven continents

• अष्टौ (aṣṭau) - eight

• भवन्ति (bhavanti) - are (become, are, exist)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner, why)

• उत्तमाः (uttamāḥ) - excellent (excellent, supreme, best)

Words meanings and morphology

एका (ekā) - only one (one, single, alone)

(numeral)

Note: modifies vasudhā

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

(indeclinable)

Note: emphasizes 'ekā'

सप्तद्वीपा (saptadvīpā) - consisting of seven continents (having seven continents/islands)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of saptadvīpa

saptadvīpa - having seven continents/islands

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sapta+dvīpa)

• sapta – seven
  numeral
• dvīpa – island, continent, land between two waters
  noun (masculine)

Note: modifies vasudhā

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

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

Present tense form

3rd person singular active, Parasmaipada, from root as (to be)

Root: as (class 2)

वसुधा (vasudhā) - the Earth (earth, ground)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vasudhā

vasudhā - earth, ground, land

Note: subject of the first clause

यत्र (yatra) - when, where (introducing a condition) (where, in which place, when)

(indeclinable)

Locative adverbial formation from yad (which)

तत्र (tatra) - then, in that situation (there, in that place)

(indeclinable)

Locative adverbial formation from tad (that)

Note: correlative to 'yatra'

ते (te) - those (lords) (they, those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: refers to 'saptadvīpeśvarāḥ'

सप्तद्वीपेश्वराः (saptadvīpeśvarāḥ) - lords of the seven continents

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of saptadvīpeśvara

saptadvīpeśvara - lord of the seven continents/islands

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sapta+dvīpa+īśvara)

• sapta – seven
  numeral
• dvīpa – island, continent
  noun (masculine)
• īśvara – lord, master, controller
  noun (masculine)
  Root: īś (class 2)

Note: subject of the second clause

अष्टौ (aṣṭau) - eight

(numeral)

Note: modifies saptadvīpeśvarāḥ

भवन्ति (bhavanti) - are (become, are, exist)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

Present tense form

3rd person plural active, Parasmaipada, from root bhū (to be, become)

Root: bhū (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Derived from kim (what) with -tham suffix

Note: interrogative adverb

उत्तमाः (uttamāḥ) - excellent (excellent, supreme, best)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of uttama

uttama - highest, best, excellent, supreme

Superlative of ud-anta (up-end)

Note: predicate adjective for 'saptadvīpeśvarāḥ'