योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-24, verse-16

सकण्टकममेध्यस्थं श्लेष्मातकमिव द्रुमम् ।
असदेव महारम्भं चलदर्जुनवातवत् ॥ १६ ॥

sakaṇṭakamamedhyasthaṃ śleṣmātakamiva drumam ,
asadeva mahārambhaṃ caladarjunavātavat 16

16. sakaṇṭakam amedhyastham śleṣmātakam iva drumam
| asat eva mahārambham caladarjunavātavat

16. vivekinaḥ mām sakaṇṭakam amedhyastham śleṣmātakam iva
drumam asat eva mahārambham caladarjunavātavat na spṛśanti

16. Discerning individuals do not associate with me, who, like a thorny Śleṣmātaka tree standing amidst impurity, am truly insubstantial despite my grand undertakings, and am unstable like an Arjuna tree swaying in the wind.

Words meanings summery:

• सकण्टकम् (sakaṇṭakam) - thorny (thorny, with thorns)

• अमेध्यस्थम् (amedhyastham) - standing amidst impurity (situated in impurity, standing in defilement)

• श्लेष्मातकम् (śleṣmātakam) - a Śleṣmātaka tree (a Śleṣmātaka tree (Cordia dichotoma))

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• द्रुमम् (drumam) - tree

• असत् (asat) - insubstantial, unreal (non-existent, unreal, bad, false)

• एव (eva) - truly (indeed, just, only)

• महारम्भम् (mahārambham) - despite my grand undertakings (having great beginnings/undertakings, of grand appearance)

• चलदर्जुनवातवत् (caladarjunavātavat) - like an Arjuna tree swaying in the wind (like the wind shaking an Arjuna tree, like an Arjuna tree moved by the wind)

Words meanings and morphology

सकण्टकम् (sakaṇṭakam) - thorny (thorny, with thorns)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sakaṇṭaka

sakaṇṭaka - thorny, spiny, accompanied by thorns

Compound of `sa` (with) and `kaṇṭaka` (thorn).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+kaṇṭaka)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
• kaṇṭaka – thorn, prickle, difficulty
  noun (masculine)

अमेध्यस्थम् (amedhyastham) - standing amidst impurity (situated in impurity, standing in defilement)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of amedhyastha

amedhyastha - situated in impurity, standing in defilement, impure

Compound of `amedhya` (impure) and `stha` (standing, situated).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (amedhya+stha)

• amedhya – impure, unclean, defiling, not fit for sacrifice
  adjective
  Gerundive
  From root MEDH (to purify, sacrifice) with negative prefix A.
  Prefix: a
  Root: medh (class 1)
• stha – standing, situated, existing in
  adjective
  From root STHĀ (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

श्लेष्मातकम् (śleṣmātakam) - a Śleṣmātaka tree (a Śleṣmātaka tree (Cordia dichotoma))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śleṣmātaka

śleṣmātaka - a tree (Cordia dichotoma, also known as 'Lasora'), known for sticky fruit

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison.

द्रुमम् (drumam) - tree

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of druma

druma - tree

From root DRU (to run, to go, hence something that grows up).

Root: dru (class 1)

असत् (asat) - insubstantial, unreal (non-existent, unreal, bad, false)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, false, bad, impermanent

Present Active Participle

From root AS (to be) with negative prefix A.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• sat – existent, real, good, true, being
  adjective
  Present Active Participle
  From root AS (to be).
  Root: as (class 2)

एव (eva) - truly (indeed, just, only)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

महारम्भम् (mahārambham) - despite my grand undertakings (having great beginnings/undertakings, of grand appearance)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mahārambha

mahārambha - having great beginnings/undertakings, of grand scale, involving great effort/pomp

Compound of `mahā` (great) and `ārambha` (beginning, undertaking).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahā+ārambha)

• mahā – great, large, extensive
  adjective (feminine)
  Feminine stem of mahat. Used as a prefix in compounds regardless of gender.
• ārambha – beginning, undertaking, enterprise, effort
  noun (masculine)
  From root RABH (to seize, begin) with prefix Ā.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: rabh (class 1)

चलदर्जुनवातवत् (caladarjunavātavat) - like an Arjuna tree swaying in the wind (like the wind shaking an Arjuna tree, like an Arjuna tree moved by the wind)

(indeclinable)

Formed by adding the suffix -vat to `caladarjunavāta`.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (calat+arjuna+vāta)

• calat – moving, shaking, trembling
  adjective
  Present Active Participle
  From root CAL (to move, shake).
  Root: cal (class 1)
• arjuna – Arjuna tree (Terminalia arjuna), white, bright
  noun (masculine)
• vāta – wind, air
  noun (masculine)
  From root VĀ (to blow).
  Root: vā (class 2)

Note: Adverbial usage of a compound ending in the 'vat' suffix.

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