वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-2, chapter-61, verse-20

यथा ह्यनुदका नद्यो यथा वाप्यतृणं वनम् ।
अगोपाला यथा गावस्तथा राष्ट्रमराजकम् ॥२०॥

20. yathā hyanudakā nadyo yathā vāpyatṛṇaṃ vanam ,
agopālā yathā gāvastathā rāṣṭramarājakam.

20. yathā hi anudakāḥ nadyaḥ yathā vā api atṛṇam
vanam agopālāḥ yathā gāvaḥ tathā rāṣṭram arājakam

20. hi yathā nadyaḥ anudakāḥ,
vā api yathā vanam atṛṇam,
yathā gāvaḥ agopālāḥ,
tathā rāṣṭram arājakam

20. Indeed, just as rivers are without water, and just as a forest is without grass, and just as cows are without herdsmen, so too is a nation without a ruler.

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

• अनुदकाः (anudakāḥ) - waterless, without water

• नद्यः (nadyaḥ) - rivers

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

• वा (vā) - or, either

• अपि (api) - also, even, moreover

• अतृणम् (atṛṇam) - grassless, without grass

• वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood, grove

• अगोपालाः (agopālāḥ) - without cowherds, having no protectors

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

• गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that manner

• राष्ट्रम् (rāṣṭram) - nation, kingdom, realm, state

• अराजकम् (arājakam) - kingless, without a ruler, anarchic

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

(indeclinable)

Note: introduces a simile

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

(indeclinable)

Note: emphasizes the preceding statement

अनुदकाः (anudakāḥ) - waterless, without water

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of anudaka

anudaka - without water, waterless, dry

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (an+udaka)

• an – not, non
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• udaka – water
  noun (neuter)

Note: modifies nadyaḥ

नद्यः (nadyaḥ) - rivers

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of nadī

nadī - river

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

(indeclinable)

Note: introduces a simile

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - also, even, moreover

(indeclinable)

अतृणम् (atṛṇam) - grassless, without grass

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of atṛṇa

atṛṇa - without grass, grassless

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+tṛṇa)

• a – not, non
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• tṛṇa – grass, blade of grass, straw
  noun (neuter)

Note: modifies vanam

वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood, grove

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove, thicket

अगोपालाः (agopālāḥ) - without cowherds, having no protectors

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of agopāla

agopāla - without a cowherd, without a protector

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+gopāla)

• a – not, non
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• gopāla – cowherd, protector of cows, king
  noun (masculine)

Note: modifies gāvaḥ

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

(indeclinable)

Note: introduces a simile

गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, ox, cattle, earth

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that manner

(indeclinable)

Note: introduces the consequence

राष्ट्रम् (rāṣṭram) - nation, kingdom, realm, state

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rāṣṭra

rāṣṭra - kingdom, realm, nation, country, state

Note: Subject of the comparison

अराजकम् (arājakam) - kingless, without a ruler, anarchic

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of arājaka

arājaka - kingless, anarchic, without a ruler

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+rājan)

• a – not, non
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• rājan – king, ruler, sovereign
  noun (masculine)

Note: Predicate adjective for rāṣṭram