योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-212, verse-8

श्रीराम उवाच ।
एतद्ब्रह्मन्कदा नाम तन्न चेतितवन्मुने ।
निरावृतमनाद्यन्तं किमिदानीं प्रचेतति ॥ ८ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca ,
etadbrahmankadā nāma tanna cetitavanmune ,
nirāvṛtamanādyantaṃ kimidānīṃ pracetati 8

8. śrīrāma uvāca etat brahman kadā nāma tat na cetitavan
mune nirāvṛtam anādyantam kim idānīm pracetati

8. śrīrāma uvāca brahman mune etad nirāvṛtam anādyantam
tat kadā nāma na cetitavan idānīm kim pracetati

8. Śrī Rāma said: "O Brahmin, O sage, when indeed was that (supreme reality), which is uncovered and without beginning or end, not conscious? What is it then that is *now* manifesting consciousness?"

Words meanings summery:

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Lord Rama

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• एतत् (etat) - referring to the subject of discussion, supreme reality (this, that)

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - Addressing the sage Vasiṣṭha (O Brahmin, O learned one)

• कदा (kadā) - when?

• नाम (nāma) - Emphatic particle, 'indeed' (indeed, by name, actually)

• तत् (tat) - Referring to the Brahman / supreme reality (that)

• न (na) - Negates the verb `cetitavan` (not, no)

• चेतितवन् (cetitavan) - not having been conscious (implicitly, 'when was it not conscious?') (having perceived, having become conscious)

• मुने (mune) - Addressing Vasiṣṭha (O sage)

• निरावृतम् (nirāvṛtam) - referring to the supreme reality, which is not veiled (uncovered, unveiled, unconcealed)

• अनाद्यन्तम् (anādyantam) - referring to the supreme reality's eternal nature (without beginning or end, eternal)

• किम् (kim) - what?

• इदानीम् (idānīm) - now, at this time

• प्रचेतति (pracetati) - 'is now manifesting consciousness' - implies a new or beginning state, which is questioned for eternal consciousness. (becomes conscious, perceives, manifests consciousness, shines forth)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Lord Rama

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Lord Rama

Compound type : karmadhāraya (śrī+rāma)

• śrī – prosperity, beauty, divine grace
  noun (feminine)
• rāma – Rama, pleasing, charming
  proper noun (masculine)
  Root: ram (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Irregular perfect form of √vac. vAc is converted to uvAc

Root: vac (class 2)

एतत् (etat) - referring to the subject of discussion, supreme reality (this, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that

Note: The form `etat` is nominative/accusative singular neuter of `etad`.

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - Addressing the sage Vasiṣṭha (O Brahmin, O learned one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - a Brahmin, one who knows Brahman

Root: bṛh

Note: The vocative singular of `brahman` (masculine noun referring to a Brahmin) is `brahman`.

कदा (kadā) - when?

(indeclinable)

नाम (nāma) - Emphatic particle, 'indeed' (indeed, by name, actually)

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - Referring to the Brahman / supreme reality (that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that

Note: The form `tat` is nominative/accusative singular neuter of `tad`.

न (na) - Negates the verb `cetitavan` (not, no)

(indeclinable)

चेतितवन् (cetitavan) - not having been conscious (implicitly, 'when was it not conscious?') (having perceived, having become conscious)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cetitavat

cetitavat - conscious, perceiving, having perceived/become conscious

Past Active Participle (PPact)

Derived from root √cit (to perceive, to be conscious) with suffix -tavat (for PPact). Strong stem is cetitavānt, feminine cetitavatī, neuter cetitavat. The form cetitavan (ending in -n) is a common representation of the masculine nominative singular (cetitavān) or the stem before certain sandhis.

Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Refers to the agent of not being conscious.

मुने (mune) - Addressing Vasiṣṭha (O sage)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of muni

muni - sage, ascetic

Root: man (class 4)

निरावृतम् (nirāvṛtam) - referring to the supreme reality, which is not veiled (uncovered, unveiled, unconcealed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of nirāvṛta

nirāvṛta - uncovered, unveiled, unconcealed

Past Passive Participle

Formed from prefix `nir-` (without) + `ā-` (towards) + root `√vṛ` (to cover). Means "not covered" or "uncovered."

Compound type : pradi (nis+ā+vṛta)

• nis – without, out, away
  upasarga
• ā – towards, until, completely
  upasarga
• vṛta – covered, surrounded, chosen
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √vṛ (to cover, enclose)
  Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Agrees with `tat` (implied neuter subject).

अनाद्यन्तम् (anādyantam) - referring to the supreme reality's eternal nature (without beginning or end, eternal)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anādyanta

anādyanta - without beginning or end, eternal

Formed from `an-` (negation) + `ādi` (beginning) + `anta` (end). Means "having no beginning and no end"

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (an+ādi+anta)

• an – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix, before a vowel it is an-, before a consonant it is a-.
• ādi – beginning, origin, first
  noun (masculine)
• anta – end, limit, conclusion
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with `tat` (implied neuter subject).

किम् (kim) - what?

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, who?, which?

इदानीम् (idānīm) - now, at this time

(indeclinable)

Temporal adverb

प्रचेतति (pracetati) - 'is now manifesting consciousness' - implies a new or beginning state, which is questioned for eternal consciousness. (becomes conscious, perceives, manifests consciousness, shines forth)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of cit

Present Active

Present tense, 3rd person singular, active voice. Formed from prefix `pra-` (forth, forward, beginning) + root `√cit` (to perceive, to be conscious)

Prefix: pra

Root: cit (class 1)

Note: The prefix `pra-` can imply 'to begin' or 'to manifest forth'.

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