योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-183, verse-49

कथं चैतानि तिष्ठन्ति कस्मिंश्चिद्गृहकोशके ।
पद्माक्षकोशके सूक्ष्मे कथं भान्ति मतंगजाः ॥ ४९ ॥

kathaṃ caitāni tiṣṭhanti kasmiṃścidgṛhakośake ,
padmākṣakośake sūkṣme kathaṃ bhānti mataṃgajāḥ 49

49. katham ca etāni tiṣṭhanti kasmin cit gṛhakośake
padmākṣakośake sūkṣme katham bhānti mataṃgajāḥ

49. ca katham etāni kasmin cit gṛhakośake tiṣṭhanti
katham sūkṣme padmākṣakośake mataṃgajāḥ bhānti

49. And how do these [continents and islands] exist within some small chamber? How can huge elephants appear brightly in a subtle, lotus-eye-like tiny space?

Words meanings summery:

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• च (ca) - and

• एतानि (etāni) - these (eight continents, seven islands mentioned previously) (these (neuter nominative plural))

• तिष्ठन्ति (tiṣṭhanti) - they stand, they exist, they remain

• कस्मिन् (kasmin) - in some, in a certain (indefinite) (in what, in which)

• चित् (cit) - a particle lending indefiniteness

• गृहकोशके (gṛhakośake) - in a tiny, confined space (in a house-chamber, in a small house)

• पद्माक्षकोशके (padmākṣakośake) - in a subtle, tiny space (like the pupil of an eye or a lotus bud) (in a lotus-eye-like chamber/bud/small box)

• सूक्ष्मे (sūkṣme) - in a subtle, minute, tiny (space)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• भान्ति (bhānti) - they appear brightly (they shine, they appear, they are visible)

• मतंगजाः (mataṁgajāḥ) - elephants

Words meanings and morphology

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb, from 'kim'.

Note: Interrogative adverb.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects this question to the previous statement.

एतानि (etāni) - these (eight continents, seven islands mentioned previously) (these (neuter nominative plural))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Note: Refers back to 'bhūmaṇḍalāni aṣṭau saptadvīpāni'.

तिष्ठन्ति (tiṣṭhanti) - they stand, they exist, they remain

(verb)

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

Present Tense

Root 'sthā' (class 1, P) in present tense, 3rd person plural. The initial 's' is dropped in the present stem 'tiṣṭh'.

Root: sthā (class 1)

कस्मिन् (kasmin) - in some, in a certain (indefinite) (in what, in which)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Agrees with 'gṛhakośake'.

चित् (cit) - a particle lending indefiniteness

(indeclinable)

गृहकोशके (gṛhakośake) - in a tiny, confined space (in a house-chamber, in a small house)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of gṛhakośaka

gṛhakośaka - a small house, a chamber, a compartment

Compound type : karmadhāraya (gṛha+kośaka)

• gṛha – house, home
  noun (neuter)
• kośaka – small box, sheath, chamber, bud
  noun (masculine)
  Diminutive of 'kośa'.

Note: The suffix 'aka' in 'kośaka' often implies smallness.

पद्माक्षकोशके (padmākṣakośake) - in a subtle, tiny space (like the pupil of an eye or a lotus bud) (in a lotus-eye-like chamber/bud/small box)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of padmākṣakośaka

padmākṣakośaka - a chamber like a lotus-eye

Compound type : karmadhāraya (padmākṣa+kośaka)

• padmākṣa – lotus-eyed
  adjective (masculine)
• kośaka – small box, sheath, chamber, bud
  noun (masculine)
  Diminutive of 'kośa'.

Note: Parallel to 'gṛhakośake', further emphasizing the smallness.

सूक्ष्मे (sūkṣme) - in a subtle, minute, tiny (space)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of sūkṣma

sūkṣma - subtle, minute, fine, delicate

Note: Qualifies 'padmākṣakośake'.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb, from 'kim'.

Note: Repeated for emphasis of the incredulity.

भान्ति (bhānti) - they appear brightly (they shine, they appear, they are visible)

(verb)

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

Present Tense

Root 'bhā' (class 2, P) in present tense, 3rd person plural.

Root: bhā (class 2)

मतंगजाः (mataṁgajāḥ) - elephants

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mataṃgaja

mataṁgaja - elephant (born in the Mataṅga forest)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mataṃga+ja)

• mataṃga – name of a sage, a cloud, a mountain
  noun (masculine)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective (masculine)
  From root 'jan' (to be born).
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'bhānti'.