योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-22, verse-9

असतः शशश्रृङ्गादेः कारणं मार्गयन्ति ये ।
वन्ध्यापुत्रस्य पौत्रस्य स्कन्धमासादयन्ति ते ॥ ९ ॥

asataḥ śaśaśrṛṅgādeḥ kāraṇaṃ mārgayanti ye ,
vandhyāputrasya pautrasya skandhamāsādayanti te 9

9. asataḥ śaśaśṛṅgādeḥ kāraṇam mārgayanti ye
vandhyāputrasya pautrasya skandham āsādayanti te

9. ye asataḥ śaśaśṛṅgādeḥ kāraṇam mārgayanti,
te vandhyāputrasya pautrasya skandham āsādayanti

9. Those who search for a cause for the non-existent, like a hare's horn and so forth, are as futile as those who would try to climb onto the shoulder of a barren woman's son's grandson.

Words meanings summery:

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

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

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - a cause; reason

• मार्गयन्ति (mārgayanti) - they seek; they search for

• ये (ye) - who; those who

• वन्ध्यापुत्रस्य (vandhyāputrasya) - of a barren woman's son

• पौत्रस्य (pautrasya) - of the grandson

• स्कन्धम् (skandham) - shoulder; trunk

• आसादयन्ति (āsādayanti) - they obtain; they reach; they achieve

• ते (te) - they

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)

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - a cause; reason

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument

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

Root: kṛ (class 8)

मार्गयन्ति (mārgayanti) - they seek; they search for

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (Laṭ) of mārg

Denominative verb

Derived from the noun 'mārga' (path) to mean 'to follow a path' or 'to search'.

Root: mṛj (class 2)

ये (ye) - who; those who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - who, which, what (relative pronoun)

वन्ध्यापुत्रस्य (vandhyāputrasya) - of a barren woman's son

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of vandhyāputra

vandhyāputra - son of a barren woman (an impossible concept)

Compound of 'vandhyā' (barren woman) and 'putra' (son).

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (vandhyā+putra)

• vandhyā – barren, sterile woman
  noun (feminine)
• putra – son
  noun (masculine)

पौत्रस्य (pautrasya) - of the grandson

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pautra

pautra - grandson (son's son or daughter's son)

Derived from 'putra' (son) with 'aṇ' suffix.

स्कन्धम् (skandham) - shoulder; trunk

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of skandha

skandha - shoulder, trunk (of a tree or body), section, chapter

आसादयन्ति (āsādayanti) - they obtain; they reach; they achieve

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (Laṭ) of āsād

Causative verb

Causative form of 'āsad' (to approach, to obtain) from root 'sad' with prefix 'ā'.

Prefix: ā

Root: sad (class 1)

ते (te) - they

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it, they (demonstrative pronoun)