योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-26, verse-5

अहो बतातिविषमा वासना यद्वशाज्जनैः ।
अविद्यमानैरेवायं भ्रमोऽन्तरनुभूयते ॥ ५ ॥

aho batātiviṣamā vāsanā yadvaśājjanaiḥ ,
avidyamānairevāyaṃ bhramo'ntaranubhūyate 5

5. aho bata ativiṣamā vāsanā yat vaśāt janaiḥ
avidyamānaiḥ eva ayam bhramaḥ antaḥ anubhūyate

5. aho bata vāsanā ativiṣamā yat vaśāt janaiḥ
avidyamānaiḥ eva ayam bhramaḥ antaḥ anubhūyate

5. Oh, alas! How exceedingly formidable is latent impression (vāsanā), by the power of which this delusion (bhrama) is experienced internally by people, indeed as if by things that are actually non-existent (avidyamānaiḥ).

Words meanings summery:

• अहो (aho) - an exclamation of wonder or sorrow (Oh!, Alas!, Ah!)

• बत (bata) - an exclamation emphasizing wonder or regret (indeed, alas, certainly)

• अतिविषमा (ativiṣamā) - describing the powerful and deceptive nature of `vāsanā` (extremely difficult, very uneven, highly perilous, formidable)

• वासना (vāsanā) - the subtle tendencies and predispositions that drive actions and experiences (latent impression, subconscious tendency, desire, habit)

• यत् (yat) - refers back to `vāsanā` (which, what, that (relative pronoun))

• वशात् (vaśāt) - due to the controlling influence (from the power/control, by means of)

• जनैः (janaiḥ) - by individuals in general (by people, by humans, by creatures)

• अविद्यमानैः (avidyamānaiḥ) - implying that the objects of delusion are not truly real (by non-existent ones, by those not existing)

• एव (eva) - emphasizing the certainty of experience (indeed, only, just, quite)

• अयम् (ayam) - refers to the immediate delusion being discussed (this (masculine nominative singular))

• भ्रमः (bhramaḥ) - the illusion of reality, especially of the phenomenal world (delusion, error, wandering, illusion)

• अन्तः (antaḥ) - experienced within one's mind or consciousness (within, internally, inside)

• अनुभूयते (anubhūyate) - is being perceived or undergone (is experienced, is felt)

Words meanings and morphology

अहो (aho) - an exclamation of wonder or sorrow (Oh!, Alas!, Ah!)

(indeclinable)

बत (bata) - an exclamation emphasizing wonder or regret (indeed, alas, certainly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Often used with `aho` for stronger emphasis.

अतिविषमा (ativiṣamā) - describing the powerful and deceptive nature of `vāsanā` (extremely difficult, very uneven, highly perilous, formidable)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ativiṣama

ativiṣama - extremely difficult, very uneven, highly perilous, formidable

Prefix ati- (very, exceedingly) + viṣama (uneven, difficult).

Note: Agrees with `vāsanā`.

वासना (vāsanā) - the subtle tendencies and predispositions that drive actions and experiences (latent impression, subconscious tendency, desire, habit)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vāsanā

vāsanā - latent impression, subconscious tendency, desire, habit

From √vas (to dwell, to perfume) + -anā suffix.

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Subject.

यत् (yat) - refers back to `vāsanā` (which, what, that (relative pronoun))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Refers to `vāsanā` (feminine) as 'that by which'. This is a common idiom where neuter singular `yat` refers to the preceding feminine noun when it introduces a causal clause.

वशात् (vaśāt) - due to the controlling influence (from the power/control, by means of)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of vaśa

vaśa - power, control, sway, submission

Note: Often used with `yat` to mean "by the influence of which".

जनैः (janaiḥ) - by individuals in general (by people, by humans, by creatures)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of jana

jana - person, man, creature, people

From √jan (to be born).

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Agent of passive verb `anubhūyate`.

अविद्यमानैः (avidyamānaiḥ) - implying that the objects of delusion are not truly real (by non-existent ones, by those not existing)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of avidyamāna

avidyamāna - non-existent, not present

Present Middle Participle (negative)

Negative prefix a- + vidyamāna (present participle of √vid 'to be, to exist').

Prefix: a

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Here used substantively, referring to the non-existent things by which delusion is experienced.

एव (eva) - emphasizing the certainty of experience (indeed, only, just, quite)

(indeclinable)

Note: Placed after the word it emphasizes.

अयम् (ayam) - refers to the immediate delusion being discussed (this (masculine nominative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Note: Refers to `bhramaḥ`.

भ्रमः (bhramaḥ) - the illusion of reality, especially of the phenomenal world (delusion, error, wandering, illusion)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhrama

bhrama - delusion, error, wandering, illusion, revolving

From √bhram (to wander, to err).

Root: bhram (class 1)

Note: Subject of the passive verb.

अन्तः (antaḥ) - experienced within one's mind or consciousness (within, internally, inside)

(indeclinable)

Note: Often used as an adverb.

अनुभूयते (anubhūyate) - is being perceived or undergone (is experienced, is felt)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of anubhū

Present Passive

From prefix anu- + √bhū (to be, to become). Passive form.

Prefix: anu

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: The subject is `bhramaḥ`.