योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-37, verse-58

असता व्यवहारश्चेत्प्रेक्षामात्रविनाशिना ।
क्रियते शशशृङ्गेण तत्कथं छाद्यते न खम् ॥ ५८ ॥

asatā vyavahāraścetprekṣāmātravināśinā ,
kriyate śaśaśṛṅgeṇa tatkathaṃ chādyate na kham 58

58. asatā vyavahāraḥ cet prekṣāmātravināśinā
kriyate śaśaśṛṅgeṇa tat katham chādyate na kham

58. cet asatā prekṣāmātravināśinā śaśaśṛṅgeṇa vyavahāraḥ kriyate,
tat katham kham na chādyate?

58. If worldly transactions (vyavahāra) are conducted using something non-existent, which is destroyed by a mere glance, like with a rabbit's horn, then why is the sky not covered?

Words meanings summery:

• असता (asatā) - by the non-existent, by the unreal

• व्यवहारः (vyavahāraḥ) - transaction, conduct, worldly affair

• चेत् (cet) - if

• प्रेक्षामात्रविनाशिना (prekṣāmātravināśinā) - by that which is destroyed by a mere glance, by what perishes by simply being looked at

• क्रियते (kriyate) - is done, is made, is performed

• शशशृङ्गेण (śaśaśṛṅgeṇa) - by a rabbit's horn

• तत् (tat) - then, therefore

• कथम् (katham) - how, why

• छाद्यते (chādyate) - is covered, is concealed

• न (na) - not, no

• खम् (kham) - sky, ether, space

Words meanings and morphology

असता (asatā) - by the non-existent, by the unreal

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, false, bad

Present Active Participle (negative)

Nañ-tatpuruṣa compound of 'a' (not) and 'sat' (existing)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative particle
• sat – existing, real, good, being
  adjective
  Present Active Participle
  From root 'as' (to be)
  Root: as (class 2)

व्यवहारः (vyavahāraḥ) - transaction, conduct, worldly affair

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyavahāra

vyavahāra - transaction, conduct, practice, usage, worldly affair

From root 'hṛ' (to take, carry) with prefixes 'vi' and 'ava'

Prefixes: vi+ava

Root: hṛ (class 1)

चेत् (cet) - if

(indeclinable)

प्रेक्षामात्रविनाशिना (prekṣāmātravināśinā) - by that which is destroyed by a mere glance, by what perishes by simply being looked at

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of prekṣāmātravināśin

prekṣāmātravināśin - destroyed by a mere glance, perishing by simple perception

Compound of 'prekṣā' (glance), 'mātra' (mere), and 'vināśin' (perishable)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (prekṣā+mātra+vināśin)

• prekṣā – glance, look, perception, discernment
  noun (feminine)
  From root 'īkṣ' (to see) with prefix 'pra'
  Prefix: pra
  Root: īkṣ (class 1)
• mātra – merely, only, just, measuring
  indeclinable
  Used as a suffix to mean 'only' or 'mere'
• vināśin – perishable, destructive, liable to perish
  adjective
  From root 'naś' (to perish) with prefix 'vi' and 'ini' suffix
  Prefix: vi
  Root: naś (class 4)

क्रियते (kriyate) - is done, is made, is performed

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present indicative (laṭ) of kṛ

Passive voice, present tense

Root: kṛ (class 8)

शशशृङ्गेण (śaśaśṛṅgeṇa) - by a rabbit's horn

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of śaśaśṛṅga

śaśaśṛṅga - rabbit's horn (an example of an impossible thing)

Compound of 'śaśa' (rabbit) and 'śṛṅga' (horn)

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (śaśa+śṛṅga)

• śaśa – rabbit, hare
  noun (masculine)
• śṛṅga – horn, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)

तत् (tat) - then, therefore

(indeclinable)

Used adverbially

कथम् (katham) - how, why

(indeclinable)

छाद्यते (chādyate) - is covered, is concealed

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present indicative (laṭ) of chad

Passive voice, present tense

Root: chad (class 1)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

खम् (kham) - sky, ether, space

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kha

kha - sky, ether, space, zero