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.

16. כמו עץ קוצני הצומח בתוך רפש, הפעולות הגדולות אינן אלא אשליה חסרת ממשות, כמו רוח הסוערת בין עצי אַרְג'וּנַה.

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.

Previous Verse Next Verse