वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-1, chapter-24, verse-2

अल्पवीर्या यदा यक्षाः श्रूयन्ते मुनिपुंगव ।
कथं नागसहस्रस्य धारयत्यबला बलम् ॥२॥

2. alpavīryā yadā yakṣāḥ śrūyante munipuṃgava ,
kathaṃ nāgasahasrasya dhārayatyabalā balam.

2. alpavīryā yadā yakṣāḥ śrūyante munipuṅgava
katham nāgasahasrasya dhārayati abalā balam

2. munipuṅgava,
yadā yakṣāḥ alpavīryāḥ śrūyante,
katham abalā nāgasahasrasya balam dhārayati?

2. O eminent sage (munipuṅgava), if Yakṣas are known to possess little strength, how can a mere woman (abalā) wield the strength of a thousand elephants?

Words meanings summery:

• अल्पवीर्या (alpavīryā) - of little strength, weak

• यदा (yadā) - when, if

• यक्षाः (yakṣāḥ) - Yakṣas (a class of supernatural beings)

• श्रूयन्ते (śrūyante) - are heard, are known

• मुनिपुङ्गव (munipuṅgava) - O sage Viśvāmitra (O chief among sages, O eminent sage)

• कथम् (katham) - how, why

• नागसहस्रस्य (nāgasahasrasya) - of a thousand elephants

• धारयति (dhārayati) - holds, possesses, sustains, bears

• अबला (abalā) - the female Yakṣa, Tāṭakā, a woman of limited power (by nature) (a woman, a weak woman)

• बलम् (balam) - strength, power

Words meanings and morphology

अल्पवीर्या (alpavīryā) - of little strength, weak

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of alpavīrya

alpavīrya - of little strength, weak, feeble

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (alpa+vīrya)

• alpa – small, little, few
  adjective
• vīrya – strength, power, energy, valor
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'yakṣāḥ'.

यदा (yadā) - when, if

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a conditional clause.

यक्षाः (yakṣāḥ) - Yakṣas (a class of supernatural beings)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yakṣa

yakṣa - a class of semi-divine beings, usually benevolent guardians of treasures, but sometimes mischievous or fierce

Note: Subject of 'śrūyante'.

श्रूयन्ते (śrūyante) - are heard, are known

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, present (lat) of śrū

Present indicative, passive voice

Root śru, in passive form (śrūyate), ātmanepada

Root: śru (class 5)

मुनिपुङ्गव (munipuṅgava) - O sage Viśvāmitra (O chief among sages, O eminent sage)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of munipuṅgava

munipuṅgava - bull among sages, chief of sages, eminent sage

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (muni+puṅgava)

• muni – sage, ascetic
  noun (masculine)
• puṅgava – bull, chief, eminent
  noun (masculine)

कथम् (katham) - how, why

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

नागसहस्रस्य (nāgasahasrasya) - of a thousand elephants

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of nāgasahasra

nāgasahasra - a thousand elephants

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (nāga+sahasra)

• nāga – elephant, snake
  noun (masculine)
• sahasra – thousand
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'balam'.

धारयति (dhārayati) - holds, possesses, sustains, bears

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of dhārayati

Present indicative, active voice (causative of dhṛ)

Derived from root dhṛ, in causative (ṇic)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Verb for 'abalā'.

अबला (abalā) - the female Yakṣa, Tāṭakā, a woman of limited power (by nature) (a woman, a weak woman)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of abalā

abalā - a woman, a weak woman, without strength

Negation (a-) of bala (strength) + feminine suffix ā

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+bala)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• bala – strength, power, force
  noun (neuter)

Note: Subject of 'dhārayati'.

बलम् (balam) - strength, power

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of bala

bala - strength, power, force, might

Note: Object of 'dhārayati'.