वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-1, chapter-4, verse-9

तौ तु गान्धर्वतत्त्वज्ञौ मूर्च्छनास्थानकोविदौ ।
भ्रातरौ स्वरसंपन्नौ गन्धर्वाविव रूपिणौ ॥९॥

9. tau tu gāndharvatattvajñau mūrcchanāsthānakovidau ,
bhrātarau svarasaṃpannau gandharvāviva rūpiṇau.

9. tau tu gāndharva-tattva-jñau mūrcchanā-sthānaka-kovidau
bhrātarau svara-sampannau gandharvau iva rūpiṇau

9. tau tu bhrātarau gāndharvatattvajñau mūrcchanāsthānakovidau
svarasampannau rūpiṇau gandharvau iva (āstām)

9. Indeed, those two brothers, knowledgeable in the essence of the musical art (gāndharva), skilled in melody (mūrcchanā) and pitch (sthāna), endowed with beautiful voices, were like two Gandharvas incarnate.

Words meanings summery:

• तौ (tau) - those two

• तु (tu) - indeed, but, on the other hand

• गान्धर्व-तत्त्व-ज्ञौ (gāndharva-tattva-jñau) - two knowledgeable in the essence of music

• मूर्च्छना-स्थानक-कोविदौ (mūrcchanā-sthānaka-kovidau) - two skilled in melody and pitch

• भ्रातरौ (bhrātarau) - two brothers

• स्वर-सम्पन्नौ (svara-sampannau) - two endowed with voices

• गन्धर्वौ (gandharvau) - two Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• रूपिणौ (rūpiṇau) - two having forms, embodied

Words meanings and morphology

तौ (tau) - those two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Refers to Lava and Kuśa.

तु (tu) - indeed, but, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

गान्धर्व-तत्त्व-ज्ञौ (gāndharva-tattva-jñau) - two knowledgeable in the essence of music

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of gāndharvatattvajña

gāndharvatattvajña - knowledgeable in the essence of Gandharva (music)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (gāndharva+tattva+jña)

• gāndharva – relating to Gandharvas, music, musical art
  noun (neuter)
• tattva – essence, truth, reality, principle
  noun (neuter)
• jña – knowing, knowledgeable of
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from verb root 'jñā' (to know) + 'ka' suffix.
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Qualifies 'tau'.

मूर्च्छना-स्थानक-कोविदौ (mūrcchanā-sthānaka-kovidau) - two skilled in melody and pitch

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of mūrcchanāsthānakovida

mūrcchanāsthānakovida - skilled in melody and pitch/place

Compound type : dvandva-tatpuruṣa (mūrcchanā+sthānaka+kovida)

• mūrcchanā – melody, melodic scale, faint, swoon
  noun (feminine)
• sthānaka – pitch, position, place, posture
  noun (neuter)
• kovida – skilled, proficient, experienced
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Qualifies 'tau'.

भ्रातरौ (bhrātarau) - two brothers

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of bhrātṛ

bhrātṛ - brother

Note: The main subject in the dual.

स्वर-सम्पन्नौ (svara-sampannau) - two endowed with voices

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of svarasampanna

svarasampanna - endowed with voice, rich in sound

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (svara+sampanna)

• svara – voice, sound, tone, accent
  noun (masculine)
• sampanna – accomplished, endowed with, complete, successful
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from verb root 'pad' with prefix 'sam' (to obtain, to be endowed)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'tau'/'bhrātarau'.

गन्धर्वौ (gandharvau) - two Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of gandharva

gandharva - celestial musician, a class of demigods, musician

Note: Used in comparison 'like Gandharvas'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

रूपिणौ (rūpiṇau) - two having forms, embodied

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of rūpin

rūpin - having a form, embodied, handsome

Derived from 'rūpa' (form) + 'in' (possessive suffix).

Note: Qualifies 'gandharvau'.

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