वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-28, verse-20

सर्वथा तु लघुत्वं ते कत्थनेन विदर्शितम् ।
सुवर्णप्रतिरूपेण तप्तेनेव कुशाग्निना ॥२०॥

20. sarvathā tu laghutvaṃ te katthanena vidarśitam ,
suvarṇapratirūpeṇa tapteneva kuśāgninā.

20. sarvathā tu laghutvam te katthanena vidarśitam
suvarṇapratirūpeṇa taptena iva kuśāgninā

20. sarvathā tu te laghutvam katthanena vidarśitam,
yathā kuśāgninā taptena suvarṇapratirūpeṇa iva (vidarśitam)

20. Indeed, your triviality has been completely revealed by your boasting, just like imitation gold that has been heated by the fire of kusha grass (which would expose its falseness).

Words meanings summery:

• सर्वथा (sarvathā) - fully and without doubt (in every way, entirely, completely, at all times)

• तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing the revelation) (but, indeed, yet, however)

• लघुत्वम् (laghutvam) - the quality of being insignificant or trivial in character (lightness, insignificance, triviality, meanness, inferiority)

• ते (te) - belonging to you, or done by you (by you, your)

• कत्थनेन (katthanena) - through your act of empty self-praise (by boasting, by bragging, by self-praise)

• विदर्शितम् (vidarśitam) - clearly exposed or brought to light (shown, revealed, demonstrated, manifested)

• सुवर्णप्रतिरूपेण (suvarṇapratirūpeṇa) - by something that appears to be gold but is not genuine (by a counterfeit of gold, by imitation gold)

• तप्तेन (taptena) - by the counterfeit gold which is heated (by the heated (one), by that which is heated)

• इव (iva) - introducing the simile (like, as, as if)

• कुशाग्निना (kuśāgninā) - by a fire that is not intense enough for real gold, but sufficient to expose counterfeit (by the fire of kusha grass)

Words meanings and morphology

सर्वथा (sarvathā) - fully and without doubt (in every way, entirely, completely, at all times)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form of sarva (all).

तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing the revelation) (but, indeed, yet, however)

(indeclinable)

लघुत्वम् (laghutvam) - the quality of being insignificant or trivial in character (lightness, insignificance, triviality, meanness, inferiority)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of laghutva

laghutva - lightness, triviality, insignificance, lowliness, humility

Derived from laghu (light, small, insignificant) with the abstract suffix tva.

Note: Subject of the implied passive verb.

ते (te) - belonging to you, or done by you (by you, your)

(pronoun)

singular of yūṣmad

yūṣmad - you (plural or singular)

Enclitic form of the 2nd person pronoun.

Note: Genitive in relation to laghutvam, meaning "your triviality."

कत्थनेन (katthanena) - through your act of empty self-praise (by boasting, by bragging, by self-praise)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of katthana

katthana - boasting, bragging, self-praise

Derived from root katth (to boast).

Root: katth (class 1)

विदर्शितम् (vidarśitam) - clearly exposed or brought to light (shown, revealed, demonstrated, manifested)

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vidarśita

vidarśita - shown, revealed, displayed, demonstrated

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root dṛś (to see) with prefix vi. Causative stem darśi.

Prefix: vi

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Functions as the main verb (predicate).

सुवर्णप्रतिरूपेण (suvarṇapratirūpeṇa) - by something that appears to be gold but is not genuine (by a counterfeit of gold, by imitation gold)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of suvarṇapratirūpa

suvarṇapratirūpa - imitation gold, counterfeit gold, appearing like gold

Tatpurusha compound of suvarṇa (gold) and pratirūpa (imitation, likeness).

Compound type : tatpurusha (suvarṇa+pratirūpa)

• suvarṇa – gold, of good color
  noun (neuter)
  Compound of su (good) and varṇa (color).
  Prefix: su
• pratirūpa – imitation, likeness, resemblance, copy, counterfeit
  noun (neuter)
  Compound of prati (against, in return) and rūpa (form, appearance).
  Prefix: prati
  Root: rūp (class 10)

Note: Parallel to katthanena in the simile.

तप्तेन (taptena) - by the counterfeit gold which is heated (by the heated (one), by that which is heated)

(participle)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tapta

tapta - heated, hot, burnt, suffering

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root tap (to heat, to burn, to suffer) with suffix kta.

Root: tap (class 1)

इव (iva) - introducing the simile (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison.

कुशाग्निना (kuśāgninā) - by a fire that is not intense enough for real gold, but sufficient to expose counterfeit (by the fire of kusha grass)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kuśāgni

kuśāgni - fire of kusha grass (considered a weak fire)

Tatpurusha compound of kuśa (kusha grass) and agni (fire).

Compound type : tatpurusha (kuśa+agni)

• kuśa – kusha grass, sacred grass (Poa cynosuroides)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kuś
• agni – fire, god of fire
  noun (masculine)
  Root: ag

Note: Instrument of heating.