Yoga Vāsiṣṭha 1.31.3

Translation

when, wrapped in the winds of latent desire, with the lightning of evil hope flashing out, the cloud of the dense fog of delusion thickly thunders and roars;

Word by word

vāsanā

of latent desire

vāta

in the winds

valitē

wrapped

kadāśā

of evil hope

taḍiti

with the lightning

sphuṭē

flashing out

mōha

of delusion

ugra

dense

mihikā

of the fog

mēghē

the cloud

ghanaṁ

thickly

sphūrjati

thunders

garjati

and roars

Meaning

The storm comes. The vāsanās, the latent tendencies, are the wind that blows round everything, the commentary says the east wind of the rains; evil hope (kadāśā), the hope that never comes true, is the lightning; and the fog of delusion (moha) has become a thundercloud that roars and strikes. The order matters: first the wind of old tendency, then the flash of a hope, then the dark mass of confusion breaking over one. The reader who has been swept into a bad decision may recognise the sequence: an old habit stirs, a bright hope flashes, and then the thunder.