वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-2, chapter-16, verse-48

न ह्यतो धर्मचरणं किं चिदस्ति महत्तरम् ।
यथा पितरि शुश्रूषा तस्य वा वचनक्रिया ॥४८॥

48. na hyato dharmacaraṇaṃ kiṃ cidasti mahattaram ,
yathā pitari śuśrūṣā tasya vā vacanakriyā.

48. na hi ataḥ dharma-caraṇam kiṃcit asti mahattaram
yathā pitari śuśrūṣā tasya vā vacana-kriyā

48. hi ataḥ kiṃcit mahattaram dharma-caraṇam na
asti yathā pitari śuśrūṣā vā tasya vacana-kriyā

48. Indeed, there is no greater observance of natural law (dharma) than this, just as [there is no greater dharma than] service to one's father or the fulfillment of his command.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• अतः (ataḥ) - than this, therefore, from this

• धर्म-चरणम् (dharma-caraṇam) - practice of dharma, observance of natural law

• किंचित् (kiṁcit) - anything, something, whatever

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• महत्तरम् (mahattaram) - greater, more important

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

• पितरि (pitari) - in/towards a father

• शुश्रूषा (śuśrūṣā) - service, obedience, desire to hear/serve

• तस्य (tasya) - of him, his

• वा (vā) - or

• वचन-क्रिया (vacana-kriyā) - fulfillment of a command, action of a word

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

अतः (ataḥ) - than this, therefore, from this

(pronoun)

Ablative, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Used here in the sense of comparison: 'than this'.

धर्म-चरणम् (dharma-caraṇam) - practice of dharma, observance of natural law

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dharma-caraṇa

dharma-caraṇa - practice of righteousness, observance of duty/dharma

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+caraṇa)

• dharma – constitution, natural law, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• caraṇa – action, conduct, practice
  noun (neuter)
  Root: car (class 1)

किंचित् (kiṁcit) - anything, something, whatever

(indeclinable)

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

present tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

root as, class 2

Root: as (class 2)

महत्तरम् (mahattaram) - greater, more important

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mahattara

mahattara - greater, more important, superior

comparative degree

comparative suffix -tara added to mahat (great)

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

(indeclinable)

पितरि (pitari) - in/towards a father

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of pitṛ

pitṛ - father

शुश्रूषा (śuśrūṣā) - service, obedience, desire to hear/serve

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śuśrūṣā

śuśrūṣā - desire to hear, obedience, service, attendance

desiderative nominal derivative

from desiderative of root śru (to hear)

Root: śru (class 5)

तस्य (tasya) - of him, his

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

वचन-क्रिया (vacana-kriyā) - fulfillment of a command, action of a word

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vacana-kriyā

vacana-kriyā - action of speaking, fulfillment of a word/command

Compound type : tatpurusha (vacana+kriyā)

• vacana – speech, word, command
  noun (neuter)
  Root: vac (class 2)
• kriyā – action, deed, performance
  noun (feminine)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

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