वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-1, chapter-15, verse-2

उपायः को वधे तस्य राक्षसाधिपतेः सुराः ।
यमहं तं समास्थाय निहन्यामृषिकण्टकम् ॥२॥

2. upāyaḥ ko vadhe tasya rākṣasādhipateḥ surāḥ ,
yamahaṃ taṃ samāsthāya nihanyāmṛṣikaṇṭakam.

2. upāyaḥ kaḥ vadhe tasya rākṣasa-adhipateḥ surāḥ
yam aham tam sam-āsthāya nihanyām ṛṣi-kaṇṭakam

2. surāḥ kaḥ upāyaḥ tasya rākṣasa-adhipateḥ
ṛṣi-kaṇṭakam vadhe yam aham tam sam-āsthāya nihanyām

2. "O gods (suras), what means (upāya) should I adopt to slay that lord of demons, who is a thorn to the sages (ṛṣis)?"

Words meanings summery:

• उपायः (upāyaḥ) - means, method, expedient

• कः (kaḥ) - what, who

• वधे (vadhe) - in the slaying, for the killing

• तस्य (tasya) - of him, his

• राक्षस-अधिपतेः (rākṣasa-adhipateḥ) - of the lord of demons

• सुराः (surāḥ) - O gods

• यम् (yam) - whom, which (relative pronoun)

• अहम् (aham) - I

• तम् (tam) - him, that (demonstrative pronoun referring to 'upāya')

• सम्-आस्थाय (sam-āsthāya) - having resorted to, having adopted

• निहन्याम् (nihanyām) - may I slay, should I kill

• ऋषि-कण्टकम् (ṛṣi-kaṇṭakam) - the thorn to the sages

Words meanings and morphology

उपायः (upāyaḥ) - means, method, expedient

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of upāya

upāya - means, method, approach, strategy

कः (kaḥ) - what, who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun)

वधे (vadhe) - in the slaying, for the killing

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of vadha

vadha - slaying, killing, destruction

तस्य (tasya) - of him, his

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

राक्षस-अधिपतेः (rākṣasa-adhipateḥ) - of the lord of demons

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of rākṣasa-adhipati

rākṣasa-adhipati - lord of demons, king of Rakshasas

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rākṣasa+adhipati)

• rākṣasa – demon, Rakshasa
  noun (masculine)
• adhipati – lord, master, ruler
  noun (masculine)

सुराः (surāḥ) - O gods

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, plural of sura

sura - god, deity

यम् (yam) - whom, which (relative pronoun)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what (relative pronoun)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we (first person pronoun)

तम् (tam) - him, that (demonstrative pronoun referring to 'upāya')

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

सम्-आस्थाय (sam-āsthāya) - having resorted to, having adopted

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

From the root 'sthā' with prefixes 'sam-' and 'ā-'.

Prefixes: sam+ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

निहन्याम् (nihanyām) - may I slay, should I kill

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of ni-han

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

ऋषि-कण्टकम् (ṛṣi-kaṇṭakam) - the thorn to the sages

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ṛṣi-kaṇṭaka

ṛṣi-kaṇṭaka - a nuisance to sages, a thorn for ascetics (ṛṣis)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (ṛṣi+kaṇṭaka)

• ṛṣi – sage, seer, inspired poet
  noun (masculine)
• kaṇṭaka – thorn, obstacle, enemy, nuisance
  noun (masculine)