वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-37, verse-5

निहत्य दण्डकारण्ये तापसान्धर्मचारिणः ।
रुधिराणि पिबंस्तेषां तथा मांसानि भक्षयन् ॥५॥

5. nihatya daṇḍakāraṇye tāpasāndharmacāriṇaḥ ,
rudhirāṇi pibaṃsteṣāṃ tathā māṃsāni bhakṣayan.

5. nihatya daṇḍakāraṇye tāpasān dharmacāriṇaḥ
rudhirāṇi piban teṣām tathā māṃsāni bhakṣayan

5. daṇḍakāraṇye dharmacāriṇaḥ tāpasān nihatya,
teṣām rudhirāṇi piban tathā māṃsāni bhakṣayan

5. Having killed the ascetics, who followed their intrinsic nature (dharma), in the Daṇḍaka forest, I drank their blood and likewise devoured their flesh.

Words meanings summery:

• निहत्य (nihatya) - having killed, having struck down

• दण्डकारण्ये (daṇḍakāraṇye) - in the Daṇḍaka forest

• तापसान् (tāpasān) - ascetics

• धर्मचारिणः (dharmacāriṇaḥ) - following their intrinsic nature (dharma) (practicing righteousness, following (dharma))

• रुधिराणि (rudhirāṇi) - blood

• पिबन् (piban) - drinking

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - their

• तथा (tathā) - and, similarly, likewise

• मांसानि (māṁsāni) - flesh, meat

• भक्षयन् (bhakṣayan) - eating, devouring

Words meanings and morphology

निहत्य (nihatya) - having killed, having struck down

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

From root han- (to strike, kill) with prefix ni-

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Expresses an action completed before the main verb (implied).

दण्डकारण्ये (daṇḍakāraṇye) - in the Daṇḍaka forest

(proper noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of daṇḍakāraṇya

daṇḍakāraṇya - the Daṇḍaka forest

Tatpurusha compound: Daṇḍaka + āraṇya

Compound type : tatpurusha (daṇḍaka+āraṇya)

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

Note: Denotes location where the action of killing took place.

तापसान् (tāpasān) - ascetics

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tāpasa

tāpasa - ascetic, hermit, one who practices austerity (tapas)

Derived from tapas (austerity)

Note: Object of nihatya.

धर्मचारिणः (dharmacāriṇaḥ) - following their intrinsic nature (dharma) (practicing righteousness, following (dharma))

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of dharmacārin

dharmacārin - practicing justice, following religious duties/virtue (dharma)

Tatpurusha compound: dharma + cārin

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+cārin)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
• cārin – moving, going, practicing, performing
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun from root car- (to move, perform)
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Qualifies tāpasān.

रुधिराणि (rudhirāṇi) - blood

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of rudhira

rudhira - blood, red

Note: Object of piban.

पिबन् (piban) - drinking

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pibat

pibat - drinking

Present active participle

From root pā- (to drink)

Root: pā (class 1)

Note: The form piban is nominative singular masculine, agreeing with the speaker.

तेषाम् (teṣām) - their

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Refers to tāpasān.

तथा (tathā) - and, similarly, likewise

(indeclinable)

Adverb derived from pronoun tad.

मांसानि (māṁsāni) - flesh, meat

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of māṃsa

māṁsa - flesh, meat

Note: Object of bhakṣayan.

भक्षयन् (bhakṣayan) - eating, devouring

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhakṣayat

bhakṣayat - eating, devouring

Present active participle

From root bhakṣ- (to eat)

Root: bhakṣ (class 10)

Note: The form bhakṣayan is nominative singular masculine, agreeing with the speaker.