वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-2, chapter-20, verse-8

पापयोस्ते कथं नाम तयोः शङ्का न विद्यते ।
सन्ति धर्मोपधाः श्लक्ष्णा धर्मात्मन् किं न बुध्यसे ॥८॥

8. pāpayoste kathaṃ nāma tayoḥ śaṅkā na vidyate ,
santi dharmopadhāḥ ślakṣṇā dharmātman kiṃ na budhyase.

8. pāpayoḥ te katham nāma tayoḥ śaṅkā na vidyate santi
dharma-upadhāḥ ślakṣṇāḥ dharma-ātman kim na budhyase

8. dharma-ātman te pāpayoḥ katham nāma tayoḥ śaṅkā na
vidyate ślakṣṇāḥ dharma-upadhāḥ santi kim na budhyase

8. O soul of natural law (dharmātman), how is it that you have no doubt regarding those two sinful acts? There exist subtle deceptions disguised as natural law (dharma); why do you not understand this?

Words meanings summery:

• पापयोः (pāpayoḥ) - of those two sinful acts (of the two wicked ones, of the two sins, of two evils)

• ते (te) - to you (to you, your)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner, why)

• नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizes the question) (indeed, by name, forsooth)

• तयोः (tayoḥ) - regarding those two (sinful acts) (of them two, of those two)

• शङ्का (śaṅkā) - doubt (doubt, suspicion, apprehension, fear)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• विद्यते (vidyate) - does not exist (exists, is found, is known)

• सन्ति (santi) - there exist (they are, there exist)

• धर्म-उपधाः (dharma-upadhāḥ) - deceptions disguised as natural law (dharma) (moral temptations, pretexts of dharma, deceptions related to dharma)

• श्लक्ष्णाः (ślakṣṇāḥ) - subtle (subtle, smooth, cunning, gentle)

• धर्म-आत्मन् (dharma-ātman) - O soul of natural law (dharmātman) (O righteous one, O soul of dharma)

• किम् (kim) - why (what, why)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• बुध्यसे (budhyase) - you understand (you understand, you know)

Words meanings and morphology

पापयोः (pāpayoḥ) - of those two sinful acts (of the two wicked ones, of the two sins, of two evils)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, dual of pāpa

pāpa - sin, evil, wicked, bad, a wicked person

Note: Refers to two specific items of wickedness.

ते (te) - to you (to you, your)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Dative/Genitive singular of second person pronoun.

Note: Acts as the indirect object.

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used to form an interrogative phrase katham nāma.

नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizes the question) (indeed, by name, forsooth)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial particle

Note: Used with katham for emphasis.

तयोः (tayoḥ) - regarding those two (sinful acts) (of them two, of those two)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Agrees with pāpayoḥ.

शङ्का (śaṅkā) - doubt (doubt, suspicion, apprehension, fear)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śaṅkā

śaṅkā - doubt, suspicion, apprehension, fear

From √śaṅk.

Root: śaṅk (class 1)

Note: Subject of vidyate.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negation particle.

Note: Negates the verb vidyate.

विद्यते (vidyate) - does not exist (exists, is found, is known)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (lat) of vid

Present middle indicative

3rd person singular present middle from √vid (class 4).

Root: vid (class 4)

सन्ति (santi) - there exist (they are, there exist)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (lat) of as

Present active indicative

3rd person plural present active from √as.

Root: as (class 2)

धर्म-उपधाः (dharma-upadhāḥ) - deceptions disguised as natural law (dharma) (moral temptations, pretexts of dharma, deceptions related to dharma)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of dharma-upadhā

dharma-upadhā - moral test, pretext based on dharma, deception under the guise of dharma

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+upadhā)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, duty, virtue, righteousness
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• upadhā – test, deception, stratagem, pretext
  noun (feminine)
  From upa + √dhā
  Prefix: upa
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Subject of santi.

श्लक्ष्णाः (ślakṣṇāḥ) - subtle (subtle, smooth, cunning, gentle)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of ślakṣṇa

ślakṣṇa - smooth, subtle, soft, artful, cunning

Note: Qualifies dharma-upadhāḥ.

धर्म-आत्मन् (dharma-ātman) - O soul of natural law (dharmātman) (O righteous one, O soul of dharma)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of dharma-ātman

dharma-ātman - righteous soul, one whose nature is righteousness, soul of dharma

Compound type : bahuvrihi or tatpurusha (dharma+ātman)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, duty, virtue, righteousness
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)
  Root: an (class 2)

Note: Address to the addressee.

किम् (kim) - why (what, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Forms an interrogative with na.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negation particle.

Note: Negates the verb budhyase.

बुध्यसे (budhyase) - you understand (you understand, you know)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, present indicative (lat) of budh

Present middle indicative

2nd person singular present middle from √budh (class 4).

Root: budh (class 4)