योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-39, verse-17

भ्रान्तिस्त्वसन्मात्रमयी प्रेक्षिता चेन्न लभ्यते ।
शुक्तिरूप्यमिवासत्यं किल संप्राप्यते कथम् ॥ १७ ॥

bhrāntistvasanmātramayī prekṣitā cenna labhyate ,
śuktirūpyamivāsatyaṃ kila saṃprāpyate katham 17

17. bhrāntiḥ tu asanmātramayī prekṣitā cet na labhyate
śuktirūpyam iva asatyam kila saṃprāpyate katham

17. tu bhrāntiḥ asanmātramayī cet prekṣitā na labhyate
asatyam śuktirūpyam iva kila katham saṃprāpyate

17. Indeed, illusion, being solely made of non-existence, is not found when examined. How, then, can something unreal, like the silver seen in a conch-shell, truly be obtained?

Words meanings summery:

• भ्रान्तिः (bhrāntiḥ) - illusion, error, delusion

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• असन्मात्रमयी (asanmātramayī) - consisting merely of non-existence, solely of unreality

• प्रेक्षिता (prekṣitā) - seen, observed, examined

• चेत् (cet) - if

• न (na) - not, no

• लभ्यते (labhyate) - is obtained, is found

• शुक्तिरूप्यम् (śuktirūpyam) - shell-silver (illusion of silver in a conch shell)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• असत्यम् (asatyam) - unreal, false, non-existent

• किल (kila) - indeed, certainly, reportedly

• संप्राप्यते (saṁprāpyate) - is attained, is obtained fully, is reached

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

Words meanings and morphology

भ्रान्तिः (bhrāntiḥ) - illusion, error, delusion

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhrānti

bhrānti - error, illusion, delusion, confusion

From root bhram

Root: bhram (class 4)

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

असन्मात्रमयी (asanmātramayī) - consisting merely of non-existence, solely of unreality

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of asanmātramayī

asanmātramayī - consisting merely of non-existence or unreality

Formed from asanmātra (mere non-existence) + suffix -mayī (feminine adjective indicating 'made of' or 'consisting of')

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (asat+mātra)

• asat – non-existent, unreal, false, evil
  adjective (neuter)
  Negation of sat
  Prefix: a
  Root: as (class 2)
• mātra – only, merely, solely, measure
  adjective/indeclinable (neuter)
• mayī – made of, consisting of (feminine suffix)
  suffix (feminine)
  Feminine form of -maya

Note: Refers to `bhrāntiḥ`.

प्रेक्षिता (prekṣitā) - seen, observed, examined

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prekṣita

prekṣita - seen, observed, perceived, examined

Past Passive Participle

From root īkṣ with upasarga pra

Prefix: pra

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

Note: Functions as a participle in a conditional clause.

चेत् (cet) - if

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

लभ्यते (labhyate) - is obtained, is found

(verb)

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

Present passive indicative

3rd person singular present passive

Root: labh (class 1)

शुक्तिरूप्यम् (śuktirūpyam) - shell-silver (illusion of silver in a conch shell)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śuktirūpya

śuktirūpya - shell-silver, the illusion of silver in a conch shell (a classic example of illusion in Vedanta)

tatpuruṣa compound

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śukti+rūpya)

• śukti – conch shell, oyster shell
  noun (feminine)
• rūpya – silver, beautiful
  noun/adjective (neuter)
  From rūpa

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

असत्यम् (asatyam) - unreal, false, non-existent

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asatya

asatya - unreal, false, non-existent

Negation of satya

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+satya)

• a – not, non-
  prefix
  Negation prefix
• satya – true, real, truth, reality
  adjective/noun (neuter)

किल (kila) - indeed, certainly, reportedly

(indeclinable)

संप्राप्यते (saṁprāpyate) - is attained, is obtained fully, is reached

(verb)

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

Present passive indicative

3rd person singular present passive

Prefixes: sam+pra

Root: āp (class 5)

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

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