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Yoga-sūtra with Vyāsa's bhāṣya · 1.28

tajjapas tadarthabhāvanam

Translation. Repetition (japa) of that [praṇava], and contemplation (bhāvana) of its referent—Īśvara.

Grammar check: 2 words pass / 0 flagged / 0 beyond the checkerPāṇini-verified

Every word's claimed grammar is re-derived with vidyut-prakriya, software implementing Pāṇini's rules. Flags are shown, never hidden; some are the text taking epic or Vedic liberties the classical rules do not generate.

Word by word

surfacelemmagrammar
tajjapaḥtajjapapass
tadarthabhāvanamtadarthabhāvanapass

How the commentary settled it

Where the verse alone is ambiguous, the reading follows Vyāsa's commentary; the deciding lines are quoted below each decision.
In tajjapaḥ, tad refers to praṇava and bears a genitive relation to japa: ‘repetition of that [praṇava],’ not ‘that repetition.’ Japa is rendered ‘repetition,’ consistent with its sense of muttered recitation ([MW s.v. japa, 412,1]).
→ The ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa interpretation, with praṇava as the antecedent of tad.
ys [1]praṇavasya japaḥ
Repetition of praṇava.
Tadartha is not construed adverbially as ‘for that purpose.’ Artha here is the referent or denoted object of praṇava, specifically Īśvara; tadarthabhāvanam therefore means contemplation of Īśvara as denoted by praṇava.
→ The referent denoted by praṇava—Īśvara.
ys [1]praṇavābhidheyasya ceśvarasya
And of Īśvara, who is denoted by praṇava.
Bhāvana is translated as contemplative reflection rather than production or ‘bringing into existence.’ The dictionary supports ‘reflection, contemplation’ ([MW s.v. bhāvanā, 755,1]), while the commentary fixes Īśvara as its genitive object.
→ Contemplation (bhāvana) directed toward Īśvara, the referent of praṇava.
ys [1]praṇavābhidheyasya ceśvarasya bhāvana
Bhāvana of Īśvara, who is denoted by praṇava.
Japaḥ and bhāvanam are coordinated nominative singular expressions, rather than a subject and predicate equated as ‘its repetition is contemplation.’ The commentary explicitly supplies ca. The supplied commentary line ends in bhāvana, apparently lacking the expected ending of bhāvanam (or possibly reflecting a faulty transcription of bhāvanā); that suspect form is not used to override the sūtra’s unambiguous neuter bhāvanam.
→ Two coordinated nominative practices, with ca made explicit in translation.
ys [1]praṇavasya japaḥ praṇavābhidheyasya ceśvarasya bhāvana
Repetition of praṇava, and bhāvana of Īśvara denoted by praṇava.

Vyāsa's commentary on this unit

1praṇavasya japaḥ praṇavābhidheyasya ceśvarasya bhāvana