वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-2, chapter-58, verse-3

तत्राहं दुर्बलावन्धौ वृद्धावपरिणायकौ ।
अपश्यं तस्य पितरौ लूनपक्षाविव द्विजौ ॥३॥

3. tatrāhaṃ durbalāvandhau vṛddhāvapariṇāyakau ,
apaśyaṃ tasya pitarau lūnapakṣāviva dvijau.

3. tatra aham durbalau andhau vṛddhau apariṇāyakau
apaśyam tasya pitarau lūnapakṣau iva dvijau

3. aham tatra tasya durbalau andhau vṛddhau
apariṇāyakau pitarau lūnapakṣau dvijau iva apaśyam

3. There I saw his weak, blind, old parents, without a guide, just like two birds with clipped wings.

Words meanings summery:

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that place

• अहम् (aham) - I, me

• दुर्बलौ (durbalau) - weak, feeble

• अन्धौ (andhau) - blind

• वृद्धौ (vṛddhau) - old, aged

• अपरिणायकौ (apariṇāyakau) - without a guide, leaderless

• अपश्यम् (apaśyam) - I saw

• तस्य (tasya) - his, its

• पितरौ (pitarau) - parents, two parents

• लूनपक्षौ (lūnapakṣau) - with clipped wings, having cut wings

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• द्विजौ (dvijau) - two birds (for comparison) (two birds, twice-born ones)

Words meanings and morphology

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that place

(indeclinable)

Derived from 'tad' (that)

अहम् (aham) - I, me

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I, me

दुर्बलौ (durbalau) - weak, feeble

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of durbala

durbala - weak, feeble, infirm

Compound: 'dur' (bad, difficult) + 'bala' (strength)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (dur+bala)

• dur – bad, difficult, ill
  indeclinable
  Prefix
• bala – strength, power, force
  noun (neuter)

Note: Modifies 'pitarau'

अन्धौ (andhau) - blind

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of andha

andha - blind, dark

Note: Modifies 'pitarau'

वृद्धौ (vṛddhau) - old, aged

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vṛddha

vṛddha - old, aged, grown, increased

Past Passive Participle

From root 'vṛdh' (to grow, increase)

Root: vṛdh (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'pitarau'

अपरिणायकौ (apariṇāyakau) - without a guide, leaderless

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of apariṇāyaka

apariṇāyaka - without a guide, leaderless, unprotected

Compound: 'a' (neg.) + 'pariṇāyaka' (guide, leader)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+pariṇāyaka)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• pariṇāyaka – guide, leader, director
  noun (masculine)
  From 'ṇī' (to lead) with 'pari-ā' prefixes
  Prefixes: pari+ā
  Root: ṇī (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'pitarau'

अपश्यम् (apaśyam) - I saw

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of paś

Root 'dṛś' (Pashy class 4, present stem 'paśya')

Root: dṛś (class 1)

तस्य (tasya) - his, its

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Śarvaṇa, the son.

पितरौ (pitarau) - parents, two parents

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of pitṛ

pitṛ - father, parent

Note: Object of 'apaśyam'. Can also be nominative dual.

लूनपक्षौ (lūnapakṣau) - with clipped wings, having cut wings

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of lūnapakṣa

lūnapakṣa - having clipped wings, with cut wings

Compound: 'lūna' (cut) + 'pakṣa' (wing)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (lūna+pakṣa)

• lūna – cut, severed
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'lū' (to cut)
  Root: lū (class 9)
• pakṣa – wing, side, party
  noun (masculine)

Note: Used in comparison, modifies 'dvijau'

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

द्विजौ (dvijau) - two birds (for comparison) (two birds, twice-born ones)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of dvija

dvija - twice-born (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya), bird, tooth

Compound: 'dvi' (two) + 'ja' (born)

Compound type : tatpurusha (dvi+ja)

• dvi – two
  numeral
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective
  From root 'jan' (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)