वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-1, chapter-60, verse-15

एवमुक्तो महातेजा ऋचीकस्त्वब्रवीद्वचः ।
नाहं ज्येष्ठं नरश्रेष्ठं विक्रीणीयां कथं चन ॥१५॥

15. evamukto mahātejā ṛcīkastvabravīdvacaḥ ,
nāhaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ naraśreṣṭhaṃ vikrīṇīyāṃ kathaṃ cana.

15. evam uktaḥ mahātejāḥ ṛcīkaḥ tu abravīt vacaḥ | na
aham jyeṣṭham naraśreṣṭham vikriṇīyām katham cana

15. evam uktaḥ mahātejāḥ ṛcīkaḥ tu vacaḥ abravīt aham
jyeṣṭham naraśreṣṭham katham cana na vikriṇīyām

15. Thus addressed, the highly effulgent Ṛcīka spoke these words: 'I would never, by any means, sell my eldest son, who is the best among men.'

Words meanings summery:

• एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner

• उक्तः (uktaḥ) - spoken, addressed

• महातेजाः (mahātejāḥ) - Ṛcīka, characterized by great splendor (greatly radiant, highly effulgent)

• ऋचीकः (ṛcīkaḥ) - The proper name of the sage (Ṛcīka)

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - spoke, said

• वचः (vacaḥ) - words, speech

• न (na) - not

• अहम् (aham) - I

• ज्येष्ठम् (jyeṣṭham) - the eldest

• नरश्रेष्ठम् (naraśreṣṭham) - best among men

• विक्रिणीयाम् (vikriṇīyām) - I would sell

• कथम् (katham) - Used with 'cana' to mean 'by any means' or 'never' (how?)

• चन (cana) - Used with 'katham' to mean 'by any means' (in a negative sense, 'never') (even, any)

Words meanings and morphology

एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner

(indeclinable)

उक्तः (uktaḥ) - spoken, addressed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ukta

ukta - spoken, said, told

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

महातेजाः (mahātejāḥ) - Ṛcīka, characterized by great splendor (greatly radiant, highly effulgent)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahātejas

mahātejas - great splendor, great energy, highly effulgent, greatly powerful

Compound type : bahuvrihi (mahat+tejas)

• mahat – great, large, vast
  adjective (neuter)
• tejas – splendor, brilliance, energy, power
  noun (neuter)

ऋचीकः (ṛcīkaḥ) - The proper name of the sage (Ṛcīka)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ṛcīka

ṛcīka - Ṛcīka (a proper noun, name of a sage)

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - spoke, said

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect past (laṅ) of brū

Root: brū (class 2)

वचः (vacaḥ) - words, speech

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vacas

vacas - word, speech, saying, statement

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

ज्येष्ठम् (jyeṣṭham) - the eldest

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, senior, chief, best

Superlative degree of 'old'

नरश्रेष्ठम् (naraśreṣṭham) - best among men

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of naraśreṣṭha

naraśreṣṭha - best of men, chief of men

Compound type : tatpurusha (nara+śreṣṭha)

• nara – man, person
  noun (masculine)
• śreṣṭha – best, most excellent, chief
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative degree of 'excellent'

विक्रिणीयाम् (vikriṇīyām) - I would sell

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of vikrī

Prefix: vi

Root: krī (class 9)

कथम् (katham) - Used with 'cana' to mean 'by any means' or 'never' (how?)

(indeclinable)

चन (cana) - Used with 'katham' to mean 'by any means' (in a negative sense, 'never') (even, any)

(indeclinable)