योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-183, verse-4

यैर्वरा वरदैर्दत्ताः शापस्ते तद्विरुद्धताम् ।
कथं गच्छन्ति गच्छन्ति कथं छाया हि तापताम् ॥ ४ ॥

yairvarā varadairdattāḥ śāpaste tadviruddhatām ,
kathaṃ gacchanti gacchanti kathaṃ chāyā hi tāpatām 4

4. yaiḥ varāḥ varadaiḥ dattāḥ śāpāḥ te tatviruddhatām
katham gacchanti gacchanti katham chāyā hi tāpatām

4. yaiḥ varadaiḥ dattāḥ varāḥ te śāpāḥ tadviruddhatām
katham gacchanti hi chāyā katham tāpatām gacchanti

4. How can the boons, which were given by the boon-givers, become curses (contradictory to their nature)? How indeed can shade attain the nature of heat?

Words meanings summery:

• यैः (yaiḥ) - by whom (the boons were given) (by whom, by which)

• वराः (varāḥ) - boons (boons, blessings, choices)

• वरदैः (varadaiḥ) - by the boon-givers (by the boon-givers, by those who grant wishes)

• दत्ताः (dattāḥ) - given, granted

• शापाः (śāpāḥ) - curses (curses, imprecations)

• ते (te) - those (boons, implicitly) (they, those)

• तत्विरुद्धताम् (tatviruddhatām) - contradiction to their nature (as boons) (the state of being contrary to that, contradiction)

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

• गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - attain, become (they go, they attain)

• गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - attain, become (they go, they attain)

• छाया (chāyā) - shade (shade, shadow, image)

• हि (hi) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, surely, because, for)

• तापताम् (tāpatām) - the nature of heat (the state of being hot, heat)

Words meanings and morphology

यैः (yaiḥ) - by whom (the boons were given) (by whom, by which)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine/neuter, plural of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: agent of the action 'dattāḥ'

वराः (varāḥ) - boons (boons, blessings, choices)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vara

vara - boon, blessing, wish, choice, best

From root vṛ (to choose, wish)

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: subject of the first clause, but in a passive construction with 'dattāḥ'

वरदैः (varadaiḥ) - by the boon-givers (by the boon-givers, by those who grant wishes)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of varada

varada - boon-giver, granting wishes

Compound of vara (boon) and da (giver, from root dā 'to give')

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vara+da)

• vara – boon, wish
  noun (masculine)
  From root vṛ (to choose, wish)
  Root: vṛ (class 9)
• da – giving, granting, giver
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun/suffix
  From root dā (to give), often used as a suffix in compounds
  Root: dā (class 3)

Note: agent by whom the boons are given

दत्ताः (dattāḥ) - given, granted

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of datta

datta - given, granted, presented

Past Passive Participle

From root dā (to give)

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: modifies 'varāḥ'

शापाः (śāpāḥ) - curses (curses, imprecations)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śāpa

śāpa - curse, imprecation, oath

From root śap (to curse, swear)

Root: śap (class 1)

Note: used in contrast to 'varāḥ', implying boons becoming curses

ते (te) - those (boons, implicitly) (they, those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: refers to 'varāḥ' and 'śāpāḥ'

तत्विरुद्धताम् (tatviruddhatām) - contradiction to their nature (as boons) (the state of being contrary to that, contradiction)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tatviruddhatā

tatviruddhatā - contradiction to that, opposition, contrariety

Compound formed from tad (that), viruddha (opposite), and -tā (suffix for abstract nouns)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tad+viruddha+tā)

• tad – that
  pronoun (neuter)
• viruddha – opposed, contrary, hostile
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root rudh (to obstruct) with prefix vi-
  Prefix: vi
  Root: rudh (class 7)
• tā – state, condition, -ness, -hood
  suffix (feminine)
  Nominal suffix forming abstract nouns

Note: object of 'gacchanti'

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

(indeclinable)

Derived from kim (what) with -tham suffix

Note: interrogative adverb, repeated for emphasis in the verse

गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - attain, become (they go, they attain)

(verb)

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

Present tense form

3rd person plural active, Parasmaipada, from root gam (to go)

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Verb is repeated in the original verse for emphasis.

गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - attain, become (they go, they attain)

(verb)

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

Present tense form

3rd person plural active, Parasmaipada, from root gam (to go)

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Repetition of the verb from the original text for emphasis.

छाया (chāyā) - shade (shade, shadow, image)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of chāyā

chāyā - shade, shadow, reflection, image

Note: subject of the second question

हि (hi) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, surely, because, for)

(indeclinable)

तापताम् (tāpatām) - the nature of heat (the state of being hot, heat)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tāpatā

tāpatā - heat, warmth, hotness, distress

Derived from tāpa (heat) with -tā suffix

Note: object of 'gacchanti'