योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-22, verse-8

असतः शशश्रृङ्गादेर्मृगतृष्णाम्भसो यथा ।
आलोकनादलभ्यस्य कीदृक् स्यात्किल कारणम् ॥ ८ ॥

asataḥ śaśaśrṛṅgādermṛgatṛṣṇāmbhaso yathā ,
ālokanādalabhyasya kīdṛk syātkila kāraṇam 8

8. asataḥ śaśaśṛṅgādeḥ mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhasaḥ yathā
ālokanāt alabhyasya kīdṛk syāt kila kāraṇam

8. yathā asataḥ śaśaśṛṅgādeḥ mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhasaḥ,
ālokanāt alabhyasya kāraṇam kila kīdṛk syāt?

8. Just as for a non-existent thing, such as a hare's horn or the water of a mirage, what kind of cause could there possibly be for that which is unobtainable through perception?

Words meanings summery:

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

• शशशृङ्गादेः (śaśaśṛṅgādeḥ) - of a hare's horn and so forth

• मृगतृष्णाम्भसः (mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhasaḥ) - of mirage-water

• यथा (yathā) - just as; as; like

• आलोकनात् (ālokanāt) - from seeing; by perception; from observation

• अलभ्यस्य (alabhyasya) - of that which is unobtainable; of what cannot be reached

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

• स्यात् (syāt) - it would be; may be

• किल (kila) - indeed; certainly; surely

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - a cause; reason

Words meanings and morphology

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

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, bad, false

Present Active Participle

Negated form of 'sat' (existing), which is a present active participle of 'as' (to be).

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non, un-
  indeclinable
• sat – existing, real, good, true
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  From root 'as' (to be) + śatṛ suffix.
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Refers to a non-existent thing.

शशशृङ्गादेः (śaśaśṛṅgādeḥ) - of a hare's horn and so forth

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of śaśaśṛṅgādi

śaśaśṛṅgādi - hare's horn, etc. (a classic example of a non-existent thing)

Compound of 'śaśa' (hare), 'śṛṅga' (horn), and 'ādi' (beginning, etc.).

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa followed by Dvandva (śaśa+śṛṅga+ādi)

• śaśa – hare, rabbit
  noun (masculine)
• śṛṅga – horn, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)
• ādi – beginning, and so forth, etc.
  indeclinable/noun (masculine)

मृगतृष्णाम्भसः (mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhasaḥ) - of mirage-water

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhas

mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhas - water of a mirage (an illusion)

Compound of 'mṛgatṛṣṇā' (mirage) and 'ambhas' (water).

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (mṛgatṛṣṇā+ambhas)

• mṛgatṛṣṇā – mirage, deer's thirst
  noun (feminine)
  Compound of 'mṛga' (deer) and 'tṛṣṇā' (thirst).
• ambhas – water
  noun (neuter)

यथा (yathā) - just as; as; like

(indeclinable)

आलोकनात् (ālokanāt) - from seeing; by perception; from observation

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of ālokana

ālokana - seeing, perception, observation, looking at

Derived from root 'lok' (to see) with prefix 'ā' and suffix 'lyuṭ'.

Prefix: ā

Root: lok (class 10)

अलभ्यस्य (alabhyasya) - of that which is unobtainable; of what cannot be reached

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of alabhya

alabhya - unobtainable, inaccessible, not to be reached

Gerundive / Potential Passive Participle

Formed from root 'labh' (to obtain) with 'ṇyat' suffix, negated by 'a'.

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (a+labhya)

• a – not, non, un-
  indeclinable
• labhya – to be obtained, obtainable, accessible
  adjective (masculine)
  Gerundive / Potential Passive Participle
  Formed from root 'labh' (to obtain) with 'ṇyat' suffix.
  Root: labh (class 1)

कीदृक् (kīdṛk) - of what kind; what sort

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of kīdṛś

kīdṛś - of what sort, what kind of

स्यात् (syāt) - it would be; may be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (Liṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

किल (kila) - indeed; certainly; surely

(indeclinable)

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - a cause; reason

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument

Derived from root kṛ (to do) + ṇic (causative) + lyuṭ.

Root: kṛ (class 8)