योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-34, verse-21

काकतालीयवद्भ्रान्तमहं ब्रह्मणि भासते ।
स्वमेव रूपं दृग्भ्रान्तौ केशोण्ड्रकमिवाम्बरे ॥ २१ ॥

kākatālīyavadbhrāntamahaṃ brahmaṇi bhāsate ,
svameva rūpaṃ dṛgbhrāntau keśoṇḍrakamivāmbare 21

21. kākatālīyavat bhrāntam aham brahmaṇi bhāsate svam
eva rūpam dṛgbhrāntau keśoṇḍrakam iva ambare

21. kākatālīyavat bhrāntam aham brahmaṇi bhāsate.
dṛgbhrāntau ambare keśoṇḍrakam iva,
svam eva rūpam (asti).

21. The illusory ego (aham) appears in brahman (brahman) spontaneously, like the accidental falling of a crow and a palm fruit. It is like one's true form appearing as a floating hair (keśoṇḍraka) in the sky, due to a delusion of sight.

Words meanings summery:

• काकतालीयवत् (kākatālīyavat) - like the crow-and-palm-fruit incident, accidentally, spontaneously, by chance

• भ्रान्तम् (bhrāntam) - illusory, mistaken, confused, wandered

• अहम् (aham) - the illusory ego or sense of 'I' (ego, I-sense)

• ब्रह्मणि (brahmaṇi) - in Brahman

• भासते (bhāsate) - shines, appears, becomes manifest

• स्वम् (svam) - one's own, own

• एव (eva) - indeed, only

• रूपम् (rūpam) - form, nature, appearance

• दृग्भ्रान्तौ (dṛgbhrāntau) - in visual error, in the delusion of sight

• केशोण्ड्रकम् (keśoṇḍrakam) - a floating hair, a speck before the eyes, a visual floater

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• अम्बरे (ambare) - in the sky, in space

Words meanings and morphology

काकतालीयवत् (kākatālīyavat) - like the crow-and-palm-fruit incident, accidentally, spontaneously, by chance

(indeclinable)

From kākatālīya (crow and palm fruit) + -vat (suffix meaning 'like').

Compound type : bahuvrihi (implied) (kāka+tālīya)

• kāka – crow
  noun (masculine)
• tālīya – relating to a palm tree, palm fruit
  adjective (neuter)
  From tāla (palm tree) + -īya (suffix meaning 'relating to').

Note: Acts as an adverb.

भ्रान्तम् (bhrāntam) - illusory, mistaken, confused, wandered

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhrānta

bhrānta - wandered, bewildered, confused, mistaken, illusory

Past Passive Participle

From root √bhram (to wander, to err) + suffix -ta.

Root: bhram (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'aham' (when 'aham' is taken as a neuter noun 'the ego').

अहम् (aham) - the illusory ego or sense of 'I' (ego, I-sense)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we, myself, ourselves

Note: Here, treated as a substantive noun referring to the ego, hence agreeing with neuter 'bhrāntam'.

ब्रह्मणि (brahmaṇi) - in Brahman

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of brahman

brahman - the Absolute, the ultimate reality, the Supreme Being; sacred word, prayer

Root: bṛh

भासते (bhāsate) - shines, appears, becomes manifest

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of bhās

Root: bhās (class 1)

Note: Present tense, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada.

स्वम् (svam) - one's own, own

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sva

sva - one's own, self; property, wealth

Note: Can also be an adjective. Here it refers to 'rūpam'.

एव (eva) - indeed, only

(indeclinable)

रूपम् (rūpam) - form, nature, appearance

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rūpa

rūpa - form, shape, appearance, nature, beauty

दृग्भ्रान्तौ (dṛgbhrāntau) - in visual error, in the delusion of sight

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of dṛgbhrānti

dṛgbhrānti - error of sight, visual delusion, optical illusion

Compound of dṛk (sight, eye) and bhrānti (error, delusion).

Compound type : tatpurusha (dṛś+bhrānti)

• dṛś – sight, eye, seeing
  noun (feminine)
  From root √dṛś (to see).
  Root: dṛś (class 1)
• bhrānti – error, delusion, confusion, illusion
  noun (feminine)
  From root √bhram (to wander, err).
  Root: bhram (class 1)

केशोण्ड्रकम् (keśoṇḍrakam) - a floating hair, a speck before the eyes, a visual floater

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of keśoṇḍraka

keśoṇḍraka - a floating hair, a speck or thread seen before the eyes, a visual floater (e.g., vitreous floater)

Compound of keśa (hair) and uṇḍraka (a small particle, a mote).

Compound type : tatpurusha (keśa+uṇḍraka)

• keśa – hair
  noun (masculine)
• uṇḍraka – a mote, a speck, a small particle
  noun (neuter)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

अम्बरे (ambare) - in the sky, in space

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of ambara

ambara - sky, atmosphere, space, garment