योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-190, verse-16

श्रीराम उवाच ।
महाप्रलयसंपत्तौ शिष्टं यदजमव्ययम् ।
तत्कथं नाम सर्गस्य न भवेत्कारणं मुने ॥ १६ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
mahāpralayasaṃpattau śiṣṭaṃ yadajamavyayam ,
tatkathaṃ nāma sargasya na bhavetkāraṇaṃ mune 16

16. śrīrāma uvāca mahāpralaya saṃpattau śiṣṭam yat ajam
avyayam tat katham nāma sargasya na bhavet kāraṇam mune

16. śrīrāma uvāca mune mahāpralaya saṃpattau yat śiṣṭam
ajam avyayam tat sargasya kāraṇam katham nāma na bhavet

16. Śrī Rāma said: O sage, how can that which remains at the culmination of the great dissolution (mahāpralaya) – that unborn and imperishable reality – not be the cause of creation (sarga)?

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Śrī Rāma, the speaker (Śrī Rāma (a respectful title for Rāma))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (referring to Śrī Rāma) (he said, spoke)

• महाप्रलय (mahāpralaya) - the final cosmic dissolution (great dissolution, cosmic annihilation)

• संपत्तौ (saṁpattau) - at the culmination or 'coming about' of (in the acquisition, in the culmination, in the success)

• शिष्टम् (śiṣṭam) - that which is left over or remains (remaining, left over, disciplined, taught)

• यत् (yat) - that which (relative pronoun) (which, what)

• अजम् (ajam) - that which is never born (unborn, unoriginated)

• अव्ययम् (avyayam) - that which is imperishable (imperishable, immutable, indeclinable)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to the unborn, imperishable reality) (that, it)

• कथम् (katham) - interrogative "how" (how?)

• नाम (nāma) - indeed, serving as an intensifier in a question (name; indeed, certainly, then)

• सर्गस्य (sargasya) - of the process of creation (of creation)

• न (na) - negation of the verb 'bhavet' (not, no)

• भवेत् (bhavet) - should be, can be (in an interrogative context) (should be, may be, would be)

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - the cause (of creation) (cause, reason)

• मुने (mune) - vocative addressing Vasiṣṭha (O sage)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Śrī Rāma, the speaker (Śrī Rāma (a respectful title for Rāma))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Śrī Rāma

Compound type : karmadhāraya (śrī+rāma)

• śrī – prosperity, glory, divine grace; respectful prefix
  noun (feminine)
• rāma – Rāma (the seventh avatar of Viṣṇu)
  proper noun (masculine)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (referring to Śrī Rāma) (he said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

perfect (liṭ)

root 'vac', 3rd person singular active

Root: vac (class 2)

महाप्रलय (mahāpralaya) - the final cosmic dissolution (great dissolution, cosmic annihilation)

(noun)

masculine, singular of mahāpralaya

mahāpralaya - great dissolution, cosmic annihilation

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+pralaya)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• pralaya – dissolution, destruction, re-absorption
  noun (masculine)
  from pra-lī (to dissolve)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: lī (class 4)

Note: First part of 'mahāpralaya-saṃpattau'.

संपत्तौ (saṁpattau) - at the culmination or 'coming about' of (in the acquisition, in the culmination, in the success)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of saṃpatti

saṁpatti - success, prosperity, attainment, culmination, occurrence

from sam-pad (to happen, to attain)

Prefix: sam

Root: pad (class 4)

शिष्टम् (śiṣṭam) - that which is left over or remains (remaining, left over, disciplined, taught)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śiṣṭa

śiṣṭa - remaining, left; educated, disciplined, excellent

Past Passive Participle

from root śiṣ (to remain, to teach)

Root: śiṣ (class 7)

यत् (yat) - that which (relative pronoun) (which, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

अजम् (ajam) - that which is never born (unborn, unoriginated)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of aja

aja - unborn, not born; a goat, Viṣṇu, Brahmā

negative prefix a- + root jan (to be born)

Prefix: a

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'that' (yat).

अव्ययम् (avyayam) - that which is imperishable (imperishable, immutable, indeclinable)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of avyaya

avyaya - imperishable, immutable; indeclinable word

negative prefix a- + root vyay (to decay, spend)

Prefix: a

Root: vyay

Note: Qualifies 'that' (yat).

तत् (tat) - that (referring to the unborn, imperishable reality) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

कथम् (katham) - interrogative "how" (how?)

(indeclinable)

नाम (nāma) - indeed, serving as an intensifier in a question (name; indeed, certainly, then)

(indeclinable)

सर्गस्य (sargasya) - of the process of creation (of creation)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of sarga

sarga - creation, emanation, discharge

from root sṛj (to create) + ghañ suffix

Root: sṛj (class 6)

न (na) - negation of the verb 'bhavet' (not, no)

(indeclinable)

भवेत् (bhavet) - should be, can be (in an interrogative context) (should be, may be, would be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of bhū

optative (vidhi-liṅ)

root 'bhū', 3rd person singular active

Root: bhū (class 1)

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - the cause (of creation) (cause, reason)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument

from root kṛ + ana suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

मुने (mune) - vocative addressing Vasiṣṭha (O sage)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of muni

muni - sage, ascetic, silent one