वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-1, chapter-57, verse-4

अशक्यमिति चोवाच वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः ।
तं वयं वै समाहर्तुं क्रतुं शक्ताः कथं तव ॥४॥

4. aśakyamiti covāca vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ ,
taṃ vayaṃ vai samāhartuṃ kratuṃ śaktāḥ kathaṃ tava.

4. aśakyam iti ca uvāca vasiṣṭhaḥ bhagavān ṛṣiḥ tam
vayam vai samāhartum kratum śaktāḥ katham tava

4. bhagavān ṛṣiḥ vasiṣṭhaḥ ca iti aśakyam uvāca .
vayam vai tam tava kratum samāhartum katham śaktāḥ

4. "It is impossible," said the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha. "How can we possibly perform that ritual (kratu) for you?"

Words meanings summery:

• अशक्यम् (aśakyam) - impossible, impracticable, not able

• इति (iti) - thus, so, in this way, denoting a quotation

• च (ca) - and, also, moreover

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, spoke

• वसिष्ठः (vasiṣṭhaḥ) - Vasiṣṭha (name of a revered sage)

• भगवान् (bhagavān) - venerable, divine, worshipful, illustrious

• ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - sage, seer, inspired poet

• तम् (tam) - that, him, it

• वयम् (vayam) - we

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely, certainly

• समाहर्तुम् (samāhartum) - to perform, to collect, to gather, to arrange

• क्रतुम् (kratum) - ritual, sacrifice, religious ceremony

• शक्ताः (śaktāḥ) - capable, able, powerful

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

• तव (tava) - your, for you

Words meanings and morphology

अशक्यम् (aśakyam) - impossible, impracticable, not able

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of aśakya

aśakya - impossible, impracticable, not able to be done

Compound of 'a' (negation) and 'śakya' (possible)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+śakya)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• śakya – possible, practicable, able to be done
  adjective (masculine)
  Gerundive
  Derived from root 'śak' with suffix '-ya'
  Root: śak (class 5)

इति (iti) - thus, so, in this way, denoting a quotation

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also, moreover

(indeclinable)

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Perfect (Lit) 3rd person singular

Intensive/Reduplicated stem of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

वसिष्ठः (vasiṣṭhaḥ) - Vasiṣṭha (name of a revered sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vasiṣṭha

vasiṣṭha - Vasiṣṭha (a name); best, most excellent

भगवान् (bhagavān) - venerable, divine, worshipful, illustrious

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - venerable, divine, worshipful, illustrious; the Lord

Possessive suffix '-vat' added to 'bhaga'

ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - sage, seer, inspired poet

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ṛṣi

ṛṣi - sage, seer, inspired poet, Vedic singer

तम् (tam) - that, him, it

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

वयम् (vayam) - we

(pronoun)

Nominative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

वै (vai) - indeed, surely, certainly

(indeclinable)

समाहर्तुम् (samāhartum) - to perform, to collect, to gather, to arrange

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

Root 'hṛ' with prefixes 'sam-' and 'ā-'

Prefixes: sam+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

क्रतुम् (kratum) - ritual, sacrifice, religious ceremony

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kratu

kratu - ritual, sacrifice, religious ceremony; strength, power, intellect

शक्ताः (śaktāḥ) - capable, able, powerful

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śakta

śakta - capable, able, powerful; endowed with power

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'śak'

Root: śak (class 5)

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)

तव (tava) - your, for you

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)