योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-82, verse-7

कथमास्तां वद प्राज्ञ चिन्मात्रं चेतनं विना ।
कथमास्तां वद प्राज्ञ मरिचं तिक्ततां विना ॥ ७ ॥

kathamāstāṃ vada prājña cinmātraṃ cetanaṃ vinā ,
kathamāstāṃ vada prājña maricaṃ tiktatāṃ vinā 7

7. katham āstām vada prājña cinmātram cetanam vinā
katham āstām vada prājña maricam tiktatām vinā

7. prājña vada,
cinmātram cetanam vinā katham āstām? prājña vada,
maricam tiktatām vinā katham āstām?

7. O wise one, tell me, how can mere consciousness (cinmātra) exist without a conscious principle? O wise one, tell me, how can pepper exist without its bitterness?

7. אמור לי, חכם, כיצד יכולה התודעה הטהורה להתקיים ללא מודעות פעילה? אמור לי, חכם, כיצד יכול הפלפל השחור להתקיים ללא חריפותו?

Words meanings summery:

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what way

• आस्ताम् (āstām) - let it be, may it exist

• वद (vada) - speak, tell

• प्राज्ञ (prājña) - O wise one, O knowledgeable one

• चिन्मात्रम् (cinmātram) - mere consciousness, consciousness alone

• चेतनम् (cetanam) - a conscious being, sentient being, consciousness (as an entity)

• विना (vinā) - without, apart from

• मरिचम् (maricam) - pepper

• तिक्तताम् (tiktatām) - bitterness

Words meanings and morphology

कथम् (katham) - how, in what way

(indeclinable)

आस्ताम् (āstām) - let it be, may it exist

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of as

3rd person singular imperative/optative

Root: as (class 2)

वद (vada) - speak, tell

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of vad

2nd person singular imperative

Root: vad (class 1)

प्राज्ञ (prājña) - O wise one, O knowledgeable one

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of prājña

prājña - wise, intelligent, knowledgeable, an expert

चिन्मात्रम् (cinmātram) - mere consciousness, consciousness alone

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cinmātra

cinmātra - mere thought, pure consciousness, consciousness alone

Compound type : karmadhāraya (cit+mātra)

• cit – consciousness, thought, spirit, understanding
  noun (feminine)
• mātra – only, mere, merely, by measure, equal to
  adjective (neuter)

चेतनम् (cetanam) - a conscious being, sentient being, consciousness (as an entity)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of cetana

cetana - conscious, sentient, animated, a conscious being

Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Governed by vinā.

विना (vinā) - without, apart from

(indeclinable)

मरिचम् (maricam) - pepper

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of marica

marica - pepper (black pepper plant or its fruit)

तिक्तताम् (tiktatām) - bitterness

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tiktatā

tiktatā - bitterness, the quality of being bitter

derived from `tikta` (bitter) + `tā` (suffix for abstract noun)

Note: Governed by vinā.

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