वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-19, verse-8

फलमूलाशनौ दान्तौ तापसौ धर्मचारिणौ ।
वसन्तौ दण्डकारण्ये किमर्थमुपहिंसथ ॥८॥

8. phalamūlāśanau dāntau tāpasau dharmacāriṇau ,
vasantau daṇḍakāraṇye kimarthamupahiṃsatha.

8. phalamūlāśanau dāntau tāpasau dharmacāriṇau
vasantau daṇḍakāraṇye kim artham upahiṃsatha

8. daṇḍakāraṇye phalamūlāśanau dāntau tāpasau
dharmacāriṇau vasantau (yuṣmān) kim artham upahiṃsatha

8. Why do you harm us, who subsist on fruits and roots, are self-controlled ascetics observing our natural law (dharma), and reside in the Daṇḍaka forest?

Words meanings summery:

• फलमूलाशनौ (phalamūlāśanau) - subsisting on fruits and roots (eating fruits and roots)

• दान्तौ (dāntau) - self-controlled (self-controlled, subdued)

• तापसौ (tāpasau) - two ascetics (two ascetics, two hermits)

• धर्मचारिणौ (dharmacāriṇau) - observing our natural law (dharma) (practicing dharma, virtuous)

• वसन्तौ (vasantau) - residing (dwelling, residing (two of them))

• दण्डकारण्ये (daṇḍakāraṇye) - in the Daṇḍaka forest

• किम् (kim) - why (what, why)

• अर्थम् (artham) - for the purpose (of what) (purpose, meaning, for the sake of)

• उपहिंसथ (upahiṁsatha) - why do you harm (you (plural) harm)

Words meanings and morphology

फलमूलाशनौ (phalamūlāśanau) - subsisting on fruits and roots (eating fruits and roots)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of phalamūlāśana

phalamūlāśana - eating fruits and roots, subsisting on fruits and roots

Compound: phala (fruit) + mūla (root) + aśana (eating)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (phala+mūla+aśana)

• phala – fruit, result
  noun (neuter)
• mūla – root, origin
  noun (neuter)
• aśana – eating, food
  noun (neuter)
  from root aś (to eat)
  Root: aś (class 9)

Note: Agrees with the implied 'we two'.

दान्तौ (dāntau) - self-controlled (self-controlled, subdued)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of dānta

dānta - self-controlled, subdued, tamed

Past Passive Participle

from root dam (to tame, to subdue)

Root: dam (class 4)

Note: Agrees with the implied 'we two'.

तापसौ (tāpasau) - two ascetics (two ascetics, two hermits)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tāpasa

tāpasa - ascetic, hermit, practicing tapas

Derived from tapas (austerity)

Note: Refers to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa as ascetics.

धर्मचारिणौ (dharmacāriṇau) - observing our natural law (dharma) (practicing dharma, virtuous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of dharmacārin

dharmacārin - practicing dharma, virtuous, righteous

Compound: dharma (duty, righteousness) + cārin (practicing)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+cārin)

• dharma – righteousness, duty, natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• cārin – practicing, observing, behaving
  adjective
  Agent noun/Adjective from root car
  from root car (to move, to practice)
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implied 'we two'.

वसन्तौ (vasantau) - residing (dwelling, residing (two of them))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vasant

vasant - dwelling, residing

Present Active Participle

from root vas (to dwell)

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implied 'we two'.

दण्डकारण्ये (daṇḍakāraṇye) - in the Daṇḍaka forest

(proper noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of daṇḍakāraṇya

daṇḍakāraṇya - the Daṇḍaka forest

Compound: Daṇḍaka (name of a forest/region) + araṇya (forest)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (daṇḍaka+araṇya)

• daṇḍaka – Daṇḍaka (name of a forest/region)
  proper noun (neuter)
• araṇya – forest, wilderness
  noun (neuter)

किम् (kim) - why (what, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used in combination with artham to mean 'for what purpose, why'.

अर्थम् (artham) - for the purpose (of what) (purpose, meaning, for the sake of)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - meaning, purpose, object, wealth

Note: Used adverbially with kim to form 'kimartham' (why, for what purpose).

उपहिंसथ (upahiṁsatha) - why do you harm (you (plural) harm)

(verb)

2nd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of hiṃs

Present second person plural

Prefix: upa

Root: hiṃs (class 7)

Note: Here, second person plural imperative/indicative, addressing the rākṣasas.