योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-68, verse-37

प्रत्यक्ष एव भावत्वे नष्टे क्वेवानुमादयः ।
उह्यन्ते वारणा यत्र तत्रोर्णायुषु का कथा ॥ ३७ ॥

pratyakṣa eva bhāvatve naṣṭe kvevānumādayaḥ ,
uhyante vāraṇā yatra tatrorṇāyuṣu kā kathā 37

37. pratyakṣa eva bhāvatve naṣṭe kva eva anumā-ādayaḥ
uhyante vāraṇāḥ yatra tatra ūrṇāyuṣu kā kathā

37. pratyakṣa eva bhāvatve naṣṭe kva eva anumā-ādayaḥ
yatra vāraṇāḥ uhyante tatra ūrṇāyuṣu kā kathā

37. When the very existence (bhāvatva) of direct perception (pratyakṣa) itself is destroyed, what then becomes of inference (anumā) and other means of knowledge? Where elephants (vāraṇa) are carried away, what indeed needs to be said about sheep (ūrṇāyu)?

Words meanings summery:

• प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa) - direct sensory experience, a primary means of knowledge (pramāṇa) (direct perception, evident, visible)

• एव (eva) - emphasizes 'pratyakṣa' itself as the foundation of knowledge (indeed, only, merely, certainly)

• भावत्वे (bhāvatve) - when the fundamental existence or reality of something is in question (in the state of being, in existence, in the nature of)

• नष्टे (naṣṭe) - when the existence (bhāvatva) itself is annihilated or rendered non-existent (when destroyed, in the perished state, lost)

• क्व (kva) - rhetorical question implying 'nowhere' (where? to what place?)

• एव (eva) - reinforces the rhetorical question: 'where *indeed*?' (indeed, only, merely, certainly)

• अनुमा-आदयः (anumā-ādayaḥ) - inference and other secondary means of knowledge, beyond direct perception (inference and others, beginning with inference)

• उह्यन्ते (uhyante) - are swept away or overwhelmed by a force (like a flood) (are carried, are borne, are conveyed)

• वारणाः (vāraṇāḥ) - elephants, used metaphorically as something large and powerful (elephants, restrainers, protectors)

• यत्र (yatra) - where, in which case

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that case

• ऊर्णायुषु (ūrṇāyuṣu) - referring to sheep, metaphorically as something small and insignificant (among sheep, concerning sheep)

• का (kā) - rhetorical: 'what mention is there of?' (what? which?)

• कथा (kathā) - matter, concern, need to speak of (story, talk, discussion, speech)

Words meanings and morphology

प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa) - direct sensory experience, a primary means of knowledge (pramāṇa) (direct perception, evident, visible)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pratyakṣa

pratyakṣa - direct perception, evident, visible

Derived from 'prati' + 'akṣa' (eye/sense organ)

एव (eva) - emphasizes 'pratyakṣa' itself as the foundation of knowledge (indeed, only, merely, certainly)

(indeclinable)

भावत्वे (bhāvatve) - when the fundamental existence or reality of something is in question (in the state of being, in existence, in the nature of)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of bhāvatva

bhāvatva - state of being, existence, essence, nature

Derived from 'bhāva' (being) with 'tva' (abstract noun suffix)

Root: bhū (class 1)

नष्टे (naṣṭe) - when the existence (bhāvatva) itself is annihilated or rendered non-existent (when destroyed, in the perished state, lost)

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of naṣṭa

naṣṭa - destroyed, perished, lost, ruined

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'naś' (to perish, be lost)

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: Used in a locative absolute construction with 'bhāvatve'.

क्व (kva) - rhetorical question implying 'nowhere' (where? to what place?)

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - reinforces the rhetorical question: 'where *indeed*?' (indeed, only, merely, certainly)

(indeclinable)

अनुमा-आदयः (anumā-ādayaḥ) - inference and other secondary means of knowledge, beyond direct perception (inference and others, beginning with inference)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of anumā-ādi

anumā-ādi - inference and so on, beginning with inference

Compound type : dvandva (anumā+ādi)

• anumā – inference, deduction (a means of knowledge - pramāṇa)
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root 'mā' (to measure, know) with prefix 'anu'
  Prefix: anu
  Root: mā (class 2)
• ādi – beginning, and so on, others
  noun (masculine)

उह्यन्ते (uhyante) - are swept away or overwhelmed by a force (like a flood) (are carried, are borne, are conveyed)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, present indicative (laṭ) of vah

Root: vah (class 1)

वारणाः (vāraṇāḥ) - elephants, used metaphorically as something large and powerful (elephants, restrainers, protectors)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vāraṇa

vāraṇa - elephant, repelling, restraining

Derived from root 'vṛ' (to cover, restrain)

Root: vṛ (class 5)

यत्र (yatra) - where, in which case

(indeclinable)

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that case

(indeclinable)

ऊर्णायुषु (ūrṇāyuṣu) - referring to sheep, metaphorically as something small and insignificant (among sheep, concerning sheep)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of ūrṇāyu

ūrṇāyu - sheep (literally 'wool-bearer')

का (kā) - rhetorical: 'what mention is there of?' (what? which?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kim

kim - who? what? which?

कथा (kathā) - matter, concern, need to speak of (story, talk, discussion, speech)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kathā

kathā - story, talk, discussion, speech, matter

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