वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-1, chapter-38, verse-24

ते प्रसाद्य महात्मानं विषण्णवदनास्तदा ।
ऊचुः परमसंत्रस्ताः पितामहमिदं वचः ॥२४॥

24. te prasādya mahātmānaṃ viṣaṇṇavadanāstadā ,
ūcuḥ paramasaṃtrastāḥ pitāmahamidaṃ vacaḥ.

24. te prasādya mahātmānam viṣaṇṇavadanāḥ tadā
ūcuḥ paramasaṃtrastāḥ pitāmaham idam vacaḥ

24. tadā te parama-saṃtrastāḥ viṣaṇṇa-vadanāḥ
mahātmānam pitāmaham prasādya idam vacaḥ ūcuḥ

24. Then, extremely terrified and with dejected faces, they propitiated the great soul (ātman) Brahmā and spoke these words to the grandfather (Brahmā).

Words meanings summery:

• ते (te) - they (the gods) (they, those)

• प्रसाद्य (prasādya) - having propitiated, having pleased, having calmed down

• महात्मानम् (mahātmānam) - the great soul (Brahmā) (the great soul, the great being)

• विषण्णवदनाः (viṣaṇṇavadanāḥ) - with dejected faces, sad-faced

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• ऊचुः (ūcuḥ) - they spoke, they said

• परमसंत्रस्ताः (paramasaṁtrastāḥ) - extremely terrified, greatly frightened

• पितामहम् (pitāmaham) - to the grandfather (Brahmā) (to the grandfather, to Brahmā)

• इदम् (idam) - this, these

• वचः (vacaḥ) - word, speech, statement

Words meanings and morphology

ते (te) - they (the gods) (they, those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Refers to the implicit group of gods.

प्रसाद्य (prasādya) - having propitiated, having pleased, having calmed down

(indeclinable)

absolutive

Derived from pra-√sad (to be clear, calm, propitiate) with suffix -ya (after upasarga)

Prefix: pra

Root: sad (class 1)

महात्मानम् (mahātmānam) - the great soul (Brahmā) (the great soul, the great being)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, noble, great being, great self

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahā+ātman)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature
  noun (masculine)
  Root: an (class 2)

विषण्णवदनाः (viṣaṇṇavadanāḥ) - with dejected faces, sad-faced

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of viṣaṇṇavadana

viṣaṇṇavadana - having a dejected face

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (viṣaṇṇa+vadana)

• viṣaṇṇa – dejected, sad, despairing
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from vi-√sad (to sink down, despond)
  Prefix: vi
  Root: sad (class 1)
• vadana – face, mouth
  noun (neuter)
  Root: vad (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implicit subject 'te' (the gods).

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

Suffix -dā added to 'tad'

ऊचुः (ūcuḥ) - they spoke, they said

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past perfect (lit) of vac

Perfect Active

Perfect 3rd person plural of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

परमसंत्रस्ताः (paramasaṁtrastāḥ) - extremely terrified, greatly frightened

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of paramasaṃtrasta

paramasaṁtrasta - extremely terrified

Compound type : karmadhāraya (parama+saṃtrasta)

• parama – highest, utmost, extreme
  adjective
• saṃtrasta – terrified, frightened
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from sam-√tras (to tremble, to be terrified)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: tras (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implicit subject 'te' (the gods).

पितामहम् (pitāmaham) - to the grandfather (Brahmā) (to the grandfather, to Brahmā)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather, Brahmā

इदम् (idam) - this, these

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, these

Note: Agrees with 'vacaḥ'.

वचः (vacaḥ) - word, speech, statement

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vacas

vacas - word, speech, statement

Root: vac (class 2)