योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-79, verse-9

अरण्यशून्यमेवासीत्तद्ब्रह्ममननं तदा ।
कठिनाकाण्डविध्वस्तं पृथिव्यामिव पत्तनम् ॥ ९ ॥

araṇyaśūnyamevāsīttadbrahmamananaṃ tadā ,
kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvastaṃ pṛthivyāmiva pattanam 9

9. araṇyaśūnyam eva āsīt tat brahmamananam tadā |
kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvastam pṛthivyām iva pattanam

9. tadā tat brahmamananam araṇyaśūnyam eva āsīt;
pṛthivyām kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvastam pattanam iva

9. At that moment, that contemplation on the ultimate reality (brahman) became utterly empty, like a city on earth devastated by a sudden, harsh catastrophe.

Words meanings summery:

• अरण्यशून्यम् (araṇyaśūnyam) - empty like a forest; desolate; utterly empty

• एव (eva) - indeed; only; exactly

• आसीत् (āsīt) - was; existed

• तत् (tat) - that

• ब्रह्ममननम् (brahmamananam) - contemplation of Brahman; meditation on the ultimate reality

• तदा (tadā) - then; at that time

• कठिनाकाण्डविध्वस्तम् (kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvastam) - destroyed by a sudden harsh event/calamity

• पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām) - on the earth; on the ground

• इव (iva) - like; as; as if

• पत्तनम् (pattanam) - city; town

Words meanings and morphology

अरण्यशून्यम् (araṇyaśūnyam) - empty like a forest; desolate; utterly empty

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of araṇyaśūnya

araṇyaśūnya - desolate as a forest; utterly empty

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (araṇya+śūnya)

• araṇya – forest; wilderness
  noun (neuter)
• śūnya – empty; void; desolate; zero
  adjective

एव (eva) - indeed; only; exactly

(indeclinable)

आसीत् (āsīt) - was; existed

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect past (laṅ) of as

Imperfect past 3rd person singular active form of the root as.

Root: as (class 2)

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that; this; it

Note: Refers to 'brahmamananam'.

ब्रह्ममननम् (brahmamananam) - contemplation of Brahman; meditation on the ultimate reality

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of brahmamanana

brahmamanana - contemplation of Brahman; meditation on the ultimate reality

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+manana)

• brahman – the Absolute; the ultimate reality; sacred utterance
  noun (neuter)
• manana – thinking; reflection; contemplation; meditation
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root man (to think).
  Root: man (class 4)

तदा (tadā) - then; at that time

(indeclinable)

कठिनाकाण्डविध्वस्तम् (kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvastam) - destroyed by a sudden harsh event/calamity

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvasta

kaṭhinākāṇḍavidhvasta - destroyed by a sudden harsh event/calamity

Past Passive Participle

Compound adjective formed with a past passive participle of root dhvaṃs prefixed by vi, modified by kaṭhinākāṇḍa.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kaṭhina+ākāṇḍa+vidhvasta)

• kaṭhina – harsh; hard; cruel
  adjective
• ākāṇḍa – sudden; accidental; unexpected; without cause
  adjective
• vidhvasta – destroyed; shattered; ruined
  participle (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past passive participle of root dhvaṃs with prefix vi.
  Prefix: vi
  Root: dhvaṃs (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'pattanam'.

पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām) - on the earth; on the ground

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of pṛthivī

pṛthivī - earth; ground; land

इव (iva) - like; as; as if

(indeclinable)

पत्तनम् (pattanam) - city; town

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pattana

pattana - city; town; port