योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-20, verse-17

अज्ञानस्य महाग्रन्थेर्मिथ्यावेद्यात्मनोऽसतः ।
अहमित्यर्थरूपस्य भेदो मोक्ष इति स्मृतः ॥ १७ ॥

ajñānasya mahāgranthermithyāvedyātmano'sataḥ ,
ahamityartharūpasya bhedo mokṣa iti smṛtaḥ 17

17. ajñānasya mahāgrantheḥ mithyāvedyātmanaḥ asataḥ
aham iti artharūpasya bhedaḥ mokṣaḥ iti smṛtaḥ

17. ajñānasya mahāgrantheḥ mithyāvedyātmanaḥ asataḥ
aham iti artharūpasya bhedaḥ mokṣaḥ iti smṛtaḥ

17. Liberation (mokṣa) is considered to be the breaking apart or separation (bheda) from the great knot (mahāgranthi) of ignorance (ajñāna), which is fundamentally unreal (asat), whose essence consists of falsely cognized objects, and whose form is the notion of 'I' (aham).

Words meanings summery:

• अज्ञानस्य (ajñānasya) - of ignorance, of spiritual ignorance

• महाग्रन्थेः (mahāgrantheḥ) - of the great knot, of the great entanglement

• मिथ्यावेद्यात्मनः (mithyāvedyātmanaḥ) - whose nature is false knowable objects, having false objects of perception as its essence

• असतः (asataḥ) - of the non-existent, of the unreal

• अहम् (aham) - I, the ego

• इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating a quotation or concept

• अर्थरूपस्य (artharūpasya) - whose form is the meaning/object, whose nature is the sense

• भेदः (bhedaḥ) - separation, distinction, breaking

• मोक्षः (mokṣaḥ) - liberation, emancipation

• इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating a quotation or concept

• स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered, traditionally held

Words meanings and morphology

अज्ञानस्य (ajñānasya) - of ignorance, of spiritual ignorance

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of ajñāna

ajñāna - ignorance, spiritual ignorance, nescience

from a- + jñāna

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+jñāna)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  negation prefix
• jñāna – knowledge, wisdom, understanding
  noun (neuter)
  from √jñā
  Root: jñā (class 9)

महाग्रन्थेः (mahāgrantheḥ) - of the great knot, of the great entanglement

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mahāgranthi

mahāgranthi - great knot, great entanglement, major psychological/spiritual impediment

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+granthi)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• granthi – knot, tie, joint, entanglement
  noun (masculine)
  from √granth
  Root: granth (class 1)

Note: Agrees with ajñānasya.

मिथ्यावेद्यात्मनः (mithyāvedyātmanaḥ) - whose nature is false knowable objects, having false objects of perception as its essence

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mithyāvedyātman

mithyāvedyātman - whose self/nature consists of falsely knowable objects

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mithyāvedya+ātman)

• mithyā – falsely, wrongly, untrue
  indeclinable
• vedya – to be known, knowable, object of knowledge
  adjective (neuter)
  Gerundive
  from √vid
  Root: vid (class 2)
• ātman – self, soul, essence
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with mahāgrantheḥ.

असतः (asataḥ) - of the non-existent, of the unreal

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, false

Present Active Participle (negative)

from a- + √as (to be)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  negation prefix
• sat – existent, real, good
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  from √as (to be)
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Agrees with mahāgrantheḥ.

अहम् (aham) - I, the ego

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I, ego, self

Note: Used here as a concept or notion.

इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating a quotation or concept

(indeclinable)

अर्थरूपस्य (artharūpasya) - whose form is the meaning/object, whose nature is the sense

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of artharūpa

artharūpa - whose form is meaning, having the nature of an object/sense

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (artha+rūpa)

• artha – meaning, purpose, object, thing
  noun (masculine)
• rūpa – form, nature, appearance, beauty
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with mahāgrantheḥ, describing the nature of the "I" notion.

भेदः (bhedaḥ) - separation, distinction, breaking

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bheda

bheda - separation, division, distinction, breaking, splitting

Root: bhid (class 7)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

मोक्षः (mokṣaḥ) - liberation, emancipation

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mokṣa

mokṣa - liberation, emancipation, freedom from saṃsāra

agent noun

from √muc (to free, release)

Root: muc (class 6)

Note: Predicate nominative.

इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating a quotation or concept

(indeclinable)

स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered, traditionally held

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of smṛta

smṛta - remembered, recollected, considered, taught by tradition

Past Passive Participle

from √smṛ (to remember)

Root: smṛ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with bhedaḥ and mokṣaḥ.

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