वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-36, verse-22

अकुर्वन्तो ऽपि पापानि शुचयः पापसंश्रयात् ।
परपापैर्विनश्यन्ति मत्स्या नागह्रदे यथा ॥२२॥

22. akurvanto'pi pāpāni śucayaḥ pāpasaṃśrayāt ,
parapāpairvinaśyanti matsyā nāgahrade yathā.

22. akurvantaḥ api pāpāni śucayaḥ pāpasaṃśrayāt
parapāpaiḥ vinaśyanti matsyāḥ nāgahṛde yathā

22. yathā matsyāḥ nāgahṛde vinaśyanti,
akurvantaḥ api pāpāni śucayaḥ pāpasaṃśrayāt parapāpaiḥ vinaśyanti

22. Even those who are pure and do not commit evil (karma) perish due to their association with evil (karma), by the evil (karma) of others, just as fish perish in a Nāga lake.

Words meanings summery:

• अकुर्वन्तः (akurvantaḥ) - not doing, not committing

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, though)

• पापानि (pāpāni) - evil (karma) (evils, sins, wicked deeds)

• शुचयः (śucayaḥ) - pure (individuals) (pure, clean, innocent, righteous)

• पापसंश्रयात् (pāpasaṁśrayāt) - due to their association with evil (karma) (from association with evil, from dependence on evil, from taking refuge in evil)

• परपापैः (parapāpaiḥ) - by the evil (karma) of others (by the sins of others)

• विनश्यन्ति (vinaśyanti) - they perish, they are destroyed, they disappear

• मत्स्याः (matsyāḥ) - fish

• नागहृदे (nāgahṛde) - in the Nāga lake

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, according to)

Words meanings and morphology

अकुर्वन्तः (akurvantaḥ) - not doing, not committing

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of akurvat

akurvat - not doing, not performing

Present Active Participle (negative)

Derived from the root 'kṛ' (to do) with the present active participle suffix '-at' and negative prefix 'a-'.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kurvat)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• kurvat – doing, performing
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  Derived from the root 'kṛ' (to do) with the present active participle suffix '-at'.
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Refers to 'śucayaḥ'.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, though)

(indeclinable)

पापानि (pāpāni) - evil (karma) (evils, sins, wicked deeds)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of pāpa

pāpa - evil, sin, wicked deed

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Object of 'akurvantaḥ'.

शुचयः (śucayaḥ) - pure (individuals) (pure, clean, innocent, righteous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śuci

śuci - pure, clean, innocent, righteous

Root: śuc (class 1)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

पापसंश्रयात् (pāpasaṁśrayāt) - due to their association with evil (karma) (from association with evil, from dependence on evil, from taking refuge in evil)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of pāpasaṃśraya

pāpasaṁśraya - association with evil, dependence on evil

Compound type : tatpurusha (pāpa+saṃśraya)

• pāpa – evil, sin
  noun (neuter)
  Root: pat (class 1)
• saṃśraya – association, dependence, refuge
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from 'sam' + 'śri' (to resort to, rely on).
  Prefix: sam
  Root: śri (class 1)

Note: Indicates the cause of perishing.

परपापैः (parapāpaiḥ) - by the evil (karma) of others (by the sins of others)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of parapāpa

parapāpa - the sin of another

Compound type : tatpurusha (para+pāpa)

• para – other, another, supreme
  adjective (masculine)
• pāpa – evil, sin
  noun (neuter)
  Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Indicates the agent/instrument causing perishing.

विनश्यन्ति (vinaśyanti) - they perish, they are destroyed, they disappear

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of naś

Prefix: vi

Root: naś (class 4)

मत्स्याः (matsyāḥ) - fish

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of matsya

matsya - fish

Root: mad (class 4)

Note: Subject of the simile.

नागहृदे (nāgahṛde) - in the Nāga lake

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of nāgahṛda

nāgahṛda - lake of serpents/Nāgas

Compound type : tatpurusha (nāga+hṛda)

• nāga – serpent, snake, Nāga (mythical being)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: nag (class 1)
• hṛda – lake, pool, reservoir
  noun (masculine)
  Root: hṛ (class 1)

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, according to)

(indeclinable)