वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-39, verse-12

ये तीक्ष्णमन्त्राः सचिवा भज्यन्ते सह तेन वै ।
विषमेषु रथाः शीघ्रं मन्दसारथयो यथा ॥१२॥

12. ye tīkṣṇamantrāḥ sacivā bhajyante saha tena vai ,
viṣameṣu rathāḥ śīghraṃ mandasārathayo yathā.

12. ye tīkṣṇamantrāḥ sacivāḥ bhajyante saha tena vai
viṣameṣu rathāḥ śīghram mandasārathayaḥ yathā

12. yathā mandasārathayaḥ rathāḥ viṣameṣu śīghram bhajyante
vai ye tīkṣṇamantrāḥ sacivāḥ tena saha bhajyante

12. Just as chariots with incompetent charioteers quickly break down on rough terrain, similarly, ministers who offer cruel counsel are ruined along with the king they advise.

Words meanings summery:

• ये (ye) - those who

• तीक्ष्णमन्त्राः (tīkṣṇamantrāḥ) - having harsh/cruel counsel, whose policies are severe

• सचिवाः (sacivāḥ) - ministers, companions

• भज्यन्ते (bhajyante) - they are broken, they perish, they are destroyed

• सह (saha) - with, together with

• तेन (tena) - by him, with him

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely

• विषमेषु (viṣameṣu) - on uneven (paths), in difficulties, in adverse situations

• रथाः (rathāḥ) - chariots

• शीघ्रम् (śīghram) - quickly, swiftly

• मन्दसारथयः (mandasārathayaḥ) - having incompetent charioteers, whose charioteers are slow/inefficient

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

Words meanings and morphology

ये (ye) - those who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - which, who, what

तीक्ष्णमन्त्राः (tīkṣṇamantrāḥ) - having harsh/cruel counsel, whose policies are severe

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tīkṣṇamantra

tīkṣṇamantra - one whose counsel/advice is sharp/harsh/severe

सचिवाः (sacivāḥ) - ministers, companions

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of saciva

saciva - minister, companion, associate

भज्यन्ते (bhajyante) - they are broken, they perish, they are destroyed

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, present indicative (laṭ) of bhaj

passive voice

passive stem derived from root bhañj

Root: bhañj (class 7)

सह (saha) - with, together with

(indeclinable)

तेन (tena) - by him, with him

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

वै (vai) - indeed, surely

(indeclinable)

विषमेषु (viṣameṣu) - on uneven (paths), in difficulties, in adverse situations

(adjective)

Locative, plural of viṣama

viṣama - uneven, difficult, arduous, adverse, unequal

Note: Used substantively referring to 'paths' or 'circumstances'.

रथाः (rathāḥ) - chariots

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ratha

ratha - chariot, car

शीघ्रम् (śīghram) - quickly, swiftly

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially.

मन्दसारथयः (mandasārathayaḥ) - having incompetent charioteers, whose charioteers are slow/inefficient

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mandasārathi

mandasārathi - having a slow/bad/incompetent charioteer

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)