वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-31, verse-18

उपभुक्तं यथा वासः स्रजो वा मृदिता यथा ।
एवं राज्यात् परिभ्रष्टः समर्थो ऽपि निरर्थकः ॥१८॥

18. upabhuktaṃ yathā vāsaḥ srajo vā mṛditā yathā ,
evaṃ rājyāt paribhraṣṭaḥ samartho'pi nirarthakaḥ.

18. upabhuktam yathā vāsaḥ srajaḥ vā mṛditā yathā evam
rājyāt paribhraṣṭaḥ samarthaḥ api nirarthakaḥ

18. yathā upabhuktam vāsaḥ vā mṛditā srajaḥ yathā evam
rājyāt paribhraṣṭaḥ samarthaḥ api nirarthakaḥ

18. Just as a garment that has been worn, or garlands that have been crushed, similarly, a capable person, even if competent, becomes useless when fallen from a kingdom.

Words meanings summery:

• उपभुक्तम् (upabhuktam) - worn (used, worn, enjoyed)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, like)

• वासः (vāsaḥ) - garment (garment, clothes, dwelling)

• स्रजः (srajaḥ) - garlands

• वा (vā) - or

• मृदिता (mṛditā) - crushed (crushed, trampled, faded)

• यथा (yathā) - similarly (as, just as, like)

• एवम् (evam) - similarly (thus, in this manner, similarly)

• राज्यात् (rājyāt) - from a kingdom (from a kingdom, from sovereignty)

• परिभ्रष्टः (paribhraṣṭaḥ) - fallen from a kingdom (fallen, displaced, deprived of)

• समर्थः (samarthaḥ) - capable (capable, competent, able)

• अपि (api) - even (if competent) (even, also, too)

• निरर्थकः (nirarthakaḥ) - useless (useless, meaningless, purpose-less)

Words meanings and morphology

उपभुक्तम् (upabhuktam) - worn (used, worn, enjoyed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of upabhukta

upabhukta - used, enjoyed, consumed, worn, eaten

Past Passive Participle

derived from root 'bhuj' (to enjoy, eat) with prefix 'upa' and suffix 'kta'

Prefix: upa

Root: bhuj (class 7)

यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, like)

(indeclinable)

वासः (vāsaḥ) - garment (garment, clothes, dwelling)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vāsas

vāsas - garment, clothes, apparel, dwelling, abode

Root: vas (class 2)

स्रजः (srajaḥ) - garlands

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sraj

sraj - garland, wreath, chaplet

Root: sṛj (class 6)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

मृदिता (mṛditā) - crushed (crushed, trampled, faded)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of mṛdita

mṛdita - crushed, trodden, rubbed, faded, spoiled

Past Passive Participle

derived from root 'mṛd' (to crush, trample) with suffix 'kta'

Root: mṛd (class 9)

Note: Used predicatively with `srajaḥ`.

यथा (yathā) - similarly (as, just as, like)

(indeclinable)

एवम् (evam) - similarly (thus, in this manner, similarly)

(indeclinable)

राज्यात् (rājyāt) - from a kingdom (from a kingdom, from sovereignty)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of rājya

rājya - kingdom, sovereignty, reign, government

Root: rāj (class 1)

Note: Used with `paribhraṣṭaḥ`.

परिभ्रष्टः (paribhraṣṭaḥ) - fallen from a kingdom (fallen, displaced, deprived of)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of paribhraṣṭa

paribhraṣṭa - fallen, lost, deprived of, displaced

Past Passive Participle

derived from root 'bhraṃś' with prefix 'pari' and suffix 'kta'

Prefix: pari

Root: bhraṃś (class 1)

समर्थः (samarthaḥ) - capable (capable, competent, able)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of samartha

samartha - capable, competent, able, fit, powerful, having meaning

Derived from 'artha' with prefix 'sam'.

अपि (api) - even (if competent) (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'samarthaḥ'.

निरर्थकः (nirarthakaḥ) - useless (useless, meaningless, purpose-less)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirarthaka

nirarthaka - useless, meaningless, unmeaning, purposeless, vain

Derived from 'artha' with prefix 'nir'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nis+artha)

• nis – out, forth, away, without
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating negation or absence.
• artha – purpose, meaning, object, wealth, value
  noun (masculine)

Note: Predicate adjective.