वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-2, chapter-25, verse-11

नदीनिलयनाः सर्पा नदीकुटिलगामिनः ।
तिष्ठन्त्यावृत्य पन्थानमतो दुःखतरं वनम् ॥११॥

11. nadīnilayanāḥ sarpā nadīkuṭilagāminaḥ ,
tiṣṭhantyāvṛtya panthānamato duḥkhataraṃ vanam.

11. nadīnilayanāḥ sarpāḥ nadīkuṭilagāminaḥ tiṣṭhanti
āvṛtya panthānam ataḥ duḥkhataram vanam

11. nadīnilayanāḥ nadīkuṭilagāminaḥ sarpāḥ panthānam
āvṛtya tiṣṭhanti ataḥ vanam duḥkhataram

11. Snakes that dwell in rivers and move with a winding gait like rivers obstruct the paths. For this reason, the forest is a place of greater misery.

Words meanings summery:

• नदीनिलयनाः (nadīnilayanāḥ) - having rivers as their abode, dwelling in rivers

• सर्पाः (sarpāḥ) - snakes, serpents

• नदीकुटिलगामिनः (nadīkuṭilagāminaḥ) - moving crookedly like rivers, having a winding gait like rivers

• तिष्ठन्ति (tiṣṭhanti) - they stand, remain, abide, occupy

• आवृत्य (āvṛtya) - having covered, having obstructed, having surrounded

• पन्थानम् (panthānam) - the path, road

• अतः (ataḥ) - therefore, from this, for this reason

• दुःखतरम् (duḥkhataram) - more sorrowful, more miserable, more difficult

• वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

Words meanings and morphology

नदीनिलयनाः (nadīnilayanāḥ) - having rivers as their abode, dwelling in rivers

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nadīnilayana

nadīnilayana - whose abode is rivers, dwelling in rivers

A Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nadī+nilayana)

• nadī – river, stream
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root 'nad' (to sound, roar).
  Root: nad (class 1)
• nilayana – abode, dwelling, nest
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root 'lī' (to cling, hide) with prefix 'ni' and suffix 'lyuṭ'.
  Prefix: ni
  Root: lī (class 4)

Note: Agrees with 'sarpāḥ'.

सर्पाः (sarpāḥ) - snakes, serpents

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sarpa

sarpa - snake, serpent, crawling

Derived from root 'sṛp' (to crawl, glide) with suffix 'a'.

Root: sṛp (class 1)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

नदीकुटिलगामिनः (nadīkuṭilagāminaḥ) - moving crookedly like rivers, having a winding gait like rivers

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nadīkuṭilagāmin

nadīkuṭilagāmin - moving in a crooked or winding manner like a river

A compound ending in an agent noun 'gāmin'.

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (nadī+kuṭila+gāmin)

• nadī – river
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root 'nad' (to sound, roar).
  Root: nad (class 1)
• kuṭila – crooked, curved, winding, deceitful
  adjective (masculine)
• gāmin – going, moving, one who goes
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun
  Derived from root 'gam' (to go) with suffix 'ṇini'.
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'sarpāḥ'.

तिष्ठन्ति (tiṣṭhanti) - they stand, remain, abide, occupy

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of sthā

Present active indicative

3rd person plural, present tense, active voice, Pāṇinian class 1 (reduplicated stem 'tiṣṭha').

Root: sthā (class 1)

आवृत्य (āvṛtya) - having covered, having obstructed, having surrounded

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Formed from root 'vṛ' (to cover, surround) with prefix 'ā' and suffix 'lyap'.

Prefix: ā

Root: vṛ (class 5)

पन्थानम् (panthānam) - the path, road

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pathin

pathin - path, road, way, course

Irregular masculine noun with 'in' stem.

Note: Object of the action of 'āvṛtya'.

अतः (ataḥ) - therefore, from this, for this reason

(indeclinable)

Formed from the pronominal stem 'idam' (this) with suffix 'tas'.

दुःखतरम् (duḥkhataram) - more sorrowful, more miserable, more difficult

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of duḥkhatara

duḥkhatara - more sorrowful, more difficult, more miserable

Comparative adjective formed from 'duḥkha' (sorrow, pain) with the comparative suffix 'tara'.

Note: Agrees with 'vanam'.

वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove, water, abode

Derived from root 'van' (to love, desire, gain).

Root: van (class 8)

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'to be'.