योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-30, verse-17

सत्तैव जडवाहेन दुःखभाराय केवलम् ।
नृणां पाशावबद्धानां पोतकानामिवार्णवे ॥ १७ ॥

sattaiva jaḍavāhena duḥkhabhārāya kevalam ,
nṛṇāṃ pāśāvabaddhānāṃ potakānāmivārṇave 17

17. sattā eva jaḍavāhena duḥkhabhārāya kevalam
nṛṇām pāśāvabaddhānām potakānām iva arṇave

17. nṛṇām sattā eva jaḍavāhena kevalam duḥkhabhārāya
(bhavati) pāśāvabaddhānām potakānām iva arṇave

17. For humans, mere existence, due to the weight of inertness (jaḍa), is exclusively a burden of suffering, like young animals bound by ropes in the ocean.

Words meanings summery:

• सत्ता (sattā) - existence, being

• एव (eva) - only, merely, indeed

• जडवाहेन (jaḍavāhena) - by the burden of inertness, by the current of inertia

• दुःखभाराय (duḥkhabhārāya) - for the burden of suffering

• केवलम् (kevalam) - merely, exclusively, only

• नृणाम् (nṛṇām) - of men, of humans

• पाशावबद्धानाम् (pāśāvabaddhānām) - of those bound by ropes/fetters

• पोतकानाम् (potakānām) - of young animals, of calves

• इव (iva) - like, as if

• अर्णवे (arṇave) - in the ocean

Words meanings and morphology

सत्ता (sattā) - existence, being

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sattā

sattā - existence, being, reality, essence

From root 'as' (to be)

Root: as (class 2)

एव (eva) - only, merely, indeed

(indeclinable)

जडवाहेन (jaḍavāhena) - by the burden of inertness, by the current of inertia

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of jaḍavāha

jaḍavāha - burden/current of inertness (jaḍa)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (jaḍa+vāha)

• jaḍa – inert, dull, unconscious, stupid
  adjective (neuter)
• vāha – carrying, bearing, burden, flow, current
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'vah' (to carry, flow)
  Root: vah (class 1)

दुःखभाराय (duḥkhabhārāya) - for the burden of suffering

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of duḥkhabhāra

duḥkhabhāra - burden of suffering

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (duḥkha+bhāra)

• duḥkha – suffering, pain, misery, sorrow
  noun (neuter)
• bhāra – burden, load, weight, quantity
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'bhṛ' (to bear, carry)
  Root: bhṛ (class 1)

केवलम् (kevalam) - merely, exclusively, only

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an adverb here.

नृणाम् (nṛṇām) - of men, of humans

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of nṛ

nṛ - man, human being, person

पाशावबद्धानाम् (pāśāvabaddhānām) - of those bound by ropes/fetters

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of pāśāvabaddha

pāśāvabaddha - bound by ropes, fettered

Past Passive Participle (within compound)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pāśa+avabaddha)

• pāśa – rope, cord, fetter, noose
  noun (masculine)
• avabaddha – bound, tied, fastened, held fast
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'bandh' with prefix 'ava'
  Prefix: ava
  Root: bandh (class 9)

पोतकानाम् (potakānām) - of young animals, of calves

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of potaka

potaka - young animal, cub, calf, sprout

इव (iva) - like, as if

(indeclinable)

अर्णवे (arṇave) - in the ocean

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of arṇava

arṇava - ocean, sea, flood, waves