योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-2, verse-8

विस्तारः कर्मणः कीदृङ् मूलं तस्य च किं भवेत् ।
नाशनीयं च निपुणं कथं कथय नाश्यते ॥ ८ ॥

vistāraḥ karmaṇaḥ kīdṛṅ mūlaṃ tasya ca kiṃ bhavet ,
nāśanīyaṃ ca nipuṇaṃ kathaṃ kathaya nāśyate 8

8. vistāraḥ karmaṇaḥ kīdṛk mūlaṃ tasya ca kiṃ bhavet
nāśanīyaṃ ca nipuṇaṃ kathaṃ kathaya nāśyate

8. karmaṇaḥ vistāraḥ kīdṛk mūlaṃ tasya ca kim bhavet
nāśanīyaṃ ca kathaṃ nipuṇaṃ nāśyate kathaya

8. What is the nature of the pervasive influence of action (karma), and what is its origin (mūla)? And tell me, how can that which needs to be eliminated be skillfully annihilated?

Words meanings summery:

• विस्तारः (vistāraḥ) - pervasive influence or extent (expansion, extent, detailed account, diffusion)

• कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - of action (karma) (of action, of deed)

• कीदृक् (kīdṛk) - of what kind, what sort

• मूलं (mūlaṁ) - origin (mūla) (root, origin, foundation)

• तस्य (tasya) - of that, of it

• च (ca) - and, also

• किं (kiṁ) - what?, how?, why?

• भवेत् (bhavet) - may it be, should it be, it might be

• नाशनीयं (nāśanīyaṁ) - that which needs to be eliminated (that which is to be destroyed, destructible, perishable)

• च (ca) - and, also

• निपुणं (nipuṇaṁ) - skillfully, expertly, thoroughly

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how?, in what manner?

• कथय (kathaya) - tell, narrate, speak

• नाश्यते (nāśyate) - is destroyed, is annihilated, is made to perish

Words meanings and morphology

विस्तारः (vistāraḥ) - pervasive influence or extent (expansion, extent, detailed account, diffusion)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vistāra

vistāra - Expansion, extension, breadth, extent, detailed description, diffusion.

From prefix 'vi' (apart, widely) + root 'stṛ' (to spread, extend).

Prefix: vi

Root: stṛ (class 5)

Note: Subject of an implied question with 'bhavet'.

कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - of action (karma) (of action, of deed)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of karman

karman - Action, deed, work, ritual, fate, consequence of actions.

From the root 'kṛ' (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Possessive, 'of action'.

कीदृक् (kīdṛk) - of what kind, what sort

(interrogative adjective)

Note: Predicate to 'vistāraḥ'.

मूलं (mūlaṁ) - origin (mūla) (root, origin, foundation)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mūla

mūla - Root, origin, basis, foundation, source, cause.

Note: Subject of an implied question with 'bhavet'.

तस्य (tasya) - of that, of it

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, singular of tad

tad - That, it, he, she (demonstrative pronoun).

Genitive singular (masculine/neuter).

Note: Possessive, 'of it'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

किं (kiṁ) - what?, how?, why?

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Predicate to 'mūlaṃ'.

भवेत् (bhavet) - may it be, should it be, it might be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

Optative mood, active voice, third person singular.

From the root 'bhū'.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Serves as the verb for both preceding questions.

नाशनीयं (nāśanīyaṁ) - that which needs to be eliminated (that which is to be destroyed, destructible, perishable)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of nāśanīya

nāśanīya - To be destroyed, destructible, perishable, fit for destruction.

Gerundive (Future Passive Participle)

Formed from the causative stem 'nāśaya' (from root 'naś') with the suffix '-anīya'.

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: Subject of the implied passive action 'nāśyate'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

निपुणं (nipuṇaṁ) - skillfully, expertly, thoroughly

(indeclinable)

Often understood as originating from 'ni' (in, down) + 'puṇ' (to collect), meaning 'expert at details'.

Note: Functions adverbially, modifying 'nāśyate'.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how?, in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb, asking about the manner of an action.

Note: Modifies 'nāśyate'.

कथय (kathaya) - tell, narrate, speak

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of kath

Imperative, active voice, second person singular.

From the root 'kath' (often treated as a denominative verb from 'kathā').

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: The implied subject is 'you' (Rāma).

नाश्यते (nāśyate) - is destroyed, is annihilated, is made to perish

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of naś

Present indicative, passive voice (of causative), third person singular.

Passive form of the causative verb 'nāśayati' (from root 'naś').

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: The subject is 'nāśanīyaṃ'.