योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-25, verse-20

अहमित्येव बन्धाय नाहमित्येव मुक्तये ।
एतावन्मात्रके बन्धे स्वायत्ते किमशक्तता ॥ २० ॥

ahamityeva bandhāya nāhamityeva muktaye ,
etāvanmātrake bandhe svāyatte kimaśaktatā 20

20. aham iti eva bandhāya na aham iti eva muktaye
etāvanmātrake bandhe svāyatte kim aśaktatā

20. aham iti eva bandhāya,
na aham iti eva muktaye.
etāvanmātrake svāyatte bandhe kim aśaktatā

20. The thought "I am" (aham iti) certainly leads to bondage, while the thought "I am not" (na aham iti) leads to liberation (mokṣa). When bondage (bandha) is merely of this nature and completely dependent on oneself, what difficulty could there be?

Words meanings summery:

• अहम् (aham) - I

• इति (iti) - thus, so, signifying quotation

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

• बन्धाय (bandhāya) - for bondage, for fettering

• न (na) - not, no

• अहम् (aham) - I

• इति (iti) - thus, so, signifying quotation

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

• मुक्तये (muktaye) - for liberation (mokṣa), for freedom

• एतावन्मात्रके (etāvanmātrake) - of merely this extent, of only this much, in such a small measure

• बन्धे (bandhe) - in bondage, in imprisonment

• स्वायत्ते (svāyatte) - in what is self-dependent, self-controlled, resting on oneself

• किम् (kim) - used rhetorically, implying 'there is no difficulty'. (what? how?)

• अशक्तता (aśaktatā) - incapacity, powerlessness, inability

Words meanings and morphology

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I (first person singular pronoun)

इति (iti) - thus, so, signifying quotation

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly

(indeclinable)

बन्धाय (bandhāya) - for bondage, for fettering

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of bandha

bandha - bondage, fettering, imprisonment, tie

Derived from root 'bandh' (to bind).

Root: bandh (class 9)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I (first person singular pronoun)

इति (iti) - thus, so, signifying quotation

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly

(indeclinable)

मुक्तये (muktaye) - for liberation (mokṣa), for freedom

(noun)

Dative, feminine, singular of mukti

mukti - liberation, release, freedom, salvation (mokṣa)

Derived from root 'muc' (to release).

Root: muc (class 6)

एतावन्मात्रके (etāvanmātrake) - of merely this extent, of only this much, in such a small measure

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of etāvanmātraka

etāvanmātraka - of merely this extent, only so much, of this measure

Compound type : karmahāraya (etāvat+mātraka)

• etāvat – so much, this much, so many
  adjective
• mātraka – only, mere, merely
  adjective (neuter)

Note: Agrees with 'bandhe'.

बन्धे (bandhe) - in bondage, in imprisonment

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of bandha

bandha - bondage, fettering, imprisonment, tie

Derived from root 'bandh' (to bind).

Root: bandh (class 9)

स्वायत्ते (svāyatte) - in what is self-dependent, self-controlled, resting on oneself

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of svāyatta

svāyatta - self-dependent, self-controlled, resting on oneself

Compound type : tatpurusha (sva+āyatta)

• sva – self, one's own
  pronoun
• āyatta – dependent, resting on, subject to
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from 'ā-yat' (to extend, to depend).
  Prefix: ā
  Root: yat (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'bandhe'.

किम् (kim) - used rhetorically, implying 'there is no difficulty'. (what? how?)

(indeclinable)

अशक्तता (aśaktatā) - incapacity, powerlessness, inability

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of aśaktatā

aśaktatā - incapacity, powerlessness, inability, weakness

Compound type : bahuvrihi (a+śakta+tā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• śakta – able, capable, powerful
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root 'śak' (to be able).
  Root: śak (class 5)
• tā – suffix for abstract nouns, '-ness', '-ity'
  suffix (feminine)