वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-2, chapter-52, verse-4

क्व नु वत्स्यति धर्मात्मा वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रितः ।
सो ऽत्यन्तसुखितः सूत किमशिष्यति राघवः ।
भूमिपालात्मजो भूमौ शेते कथमनाथवत् ॥४॥

4. kva nu vatsyati dharmātmā vṛkṣamūlamupāśritaḥ ,
so'tyantasukhitaḥ sūta kimaśiṣyati rāghavaḥ ,
bhūmipālātmajo bhūmau śete kathamanāthavat.

4. kva nu vatsyati dharmātmā vṛkṣamūlam
upāśritaḥ saḥ atyantasukhitaḥ
sūta kim aśiṣyati rāghavaḥ bhūmipālātmajaḥ
bhūmau śete katham anāthavat

4. sūta dharmātmā vṛkṣamūlam upāśritaḥ
kva nu vatsyati atyantasukhitaḥ
saḥ rāghavaḥ kim aśiṣyati bhūmipālātmajaḥ
bhūmau anāthavat katham śete

4. Where indeed will the virtuous one (dharmātman), who embodies natural law (dharma), dwell, having taken refuge at the foot of a tree? O charioteer, what will Rama, who has always known extreme comfort, eat? How will the king's son lie on the ground like an orphan?

Words meanings summery:

• क्व (kva) - where

• नु (nu) - used for emphasis in a question (indeed, now, certainly, yet)

• वत्स्यति (vatsyati) - will dwell, will reside

• धर्मात्मा (dharmātmā) - Rama, the righteous one (one whose nature is righteousness, virtuous, righteous soul)

• वृक्षमूलम् (vṛkṣamūlam) - the foot of a tree (the root of a tree, the base of a tree)

• उपाश्रितः (upāśritaḥ) - having taken refuge at (the base of a tree) (resorted to, dependent on, taken refuge in, sheltered)

• सः (saḥ) - Rama (he, that)

• अत्यन्तसुखितः (atyantasukhitaḥ) - who has always known extreme comfort (extremely happy, exceedingly comfortable)

• सूत (sūta) - O charioteer (Sumantra) (charioteer, bard, driver)

• किम् (kim) - what (will he eat) (what?, why?, whether)

• अशिष्यति (aśiṣyati) - will eat

• राघवः (rāghavaḥ) - Rama (descendant of Raghu, Rama)

• भूमिपालात्मजः (bhūmipālātmajaḥ) - Rama, the son of King Dasharatha (son of a king, prince)

• भूमौ (bhūmau) - on the ground, on the earth

• शेते (śete) - lies down, rests

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• अनाथवत् (anāthavat) - like an orphan, like one without a protector

Words meanings and morphology

क्व (kva) - where

(indeclinable)

नु (nu) - used for emphasis in a question (indeed, now, certainly, yet)

(indeclinable)

वत्स्यति (vatsyati) - will dwell, will reside

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of vas

Future Tense

3rd person, singular, active voice

Root: vas (class 1)

धर्मात्मा (dharmātmā) - Rama, the righteous one (one whose nature is righteousness, virtuous, righteous soul)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmātman

dharmātman - one whose soul/nature is righteousness, virtuous, righteous in nature

Compound: dharma + ātman

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+ātman)

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

वृक्षमूलम् (vṛkṣamūlam) - the foot of a tree (the root of a tree, the base of a tree)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vṛkṣamūla

vṛkṣamūla - root of a tree

Compound: vṛkṣa + mūla

Compound type : tatpurusha (vṛkṣa+mūla)

• vṛkṣa – tree
  noun (masculine)
• mūla – root, base, origin, foundation
  noun (neuter)

उपाश्रितः (upāśritaḥ) - having taken refuge at (the base of a tree) (resorted to, dependent on, taken refuge in, sheltered)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of upāśrita

upāśrita - resorted to, taken refuge in, sheltered by

Past Passive Participle

From verb root śri (to resort to, serve) with upasarga upa-

Prefix: upa

Root: śri (class 1)

Note: Participle functioning as an adjective for dharmātmā

सः (saḥ) - Rama (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

अत्यन्तसुखितः (atyantasukhitaḥ) - who has always known extreme comfort (extremely happy, exceedingly comfortable)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of atyantasukhita

atyantasukhita - extremely happy/comfortable

Compound: atyanta + sukhita

Compound type : tatpurusha (atyanta+sukhita)

• atyanta – extreme, excessive, very much
  adverb/adjective
  Prefix: ati
• sukhita – made happy, comfortable, enjoying happiness
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From sukha (happiness) + ita (suffix)

Note: Refers to Rāghavaḥ

सूत (sūta) - O charioteer (Sumantra) (charioteer, bard, driver)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of sūta

sūta - charioteer, bard, driver

Root: sū (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what (will he eat) (what?, why?, whether)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which; interrogative pronoun/adverb

Note: Used as an interrogative pronoun, in accusative case, referring to the object of eating.

अशिष्यति (aśiṣyati) - will eat

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of aś

Future Tense

3rd person, singular, active voice

Root: aś (class 9)

राघवः (rāghavaḥ) - Rama (descendant of Raghu, Rama)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rāghava

rāghava - descendant of Raghu, Rama

Patronymic from Raghu

Note: Refers to Rama.

भूमिपालात्मजः (bhūmipālātmajaḥ) - Rama, the son of King Dasharatha (son of a king, prince)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhūmipālātmaja

bhūmipālātmaja - son of a king

Compound: bhūmipāla + ātmaja

Compound type : tatpurusha (bhūmipāla+ātmaja)

• bhūmipāla – king (earth protector)
  noun (masculine)
  Compound: bhūmi + pāla
• ātmaja – son, self-born
  noun (masculine)
  Compound: ātman + ja
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Refers to Rama.

भूमौ (bhūmau) - on the ground, on the earth

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of bhūmi

bhūmi - earth, ground, land

शेते (śete) - lies down, rests

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of śī

Present Tense

3rd person, singular, middle voice (ātmanepada)

Root: śī (class 2)

Note: It is an ātmanepada verb.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

अनाथवत् (anāthavat) - like an orphan, like one without a protector

(indeclinable)

Formed with the suffix -vat, meaning 'like' or 'as'

Compound type : avyayībhāva (anātha+vat)

• anātha – without a master, unprotected, helpless
  adjective (masculine)
  Compound: a (negation) + nātha (master/protector)
  Prefix: a
• vat – like, as, similar to
  suffix
  Suffix for comparison, forming adverbs.

Note: Functions adverbially.

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