वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-4, verse-31

एष पन्था नरव्याघ्र मुहूर्तं पश्य तात माम् ।
यावज्जहामि गात्राणि जीर्णं त्वचमिवोरगः ॥३१॥

31. eṣa panthā naravyāghra muhūrtaṃ paśya tāta mām ,
yāvajjahāmi gātrāṇi jīrṇaṃ tvacamivoragaḥ.

31. eṣaḥ panthāḥ naravyāghra muhūrtam paśya tāta mām
yāvat jahāmi gātrāṇi jīrṇām tvacam iva uragaḥ

31. naravyāghra tāta eṣaḥ panthāḥ yāvat uragaḥ jīrṇām
tvacam iva gātrāṇi jahāmi mām muhūrtam paśya

31. This is the path, O tiger among men (naravyāghra). My son, look at me for a moment, while I cast off my body, just as a snake sheds its worn-out skin.

Words meanings summery:

• एषः (eṣaḥ) - this (path) (this)

• पन्थाः (panthāḥ) - the path (path, road)

• नरव्याघ्र (naravyāghra) - O tiger among men (addressing Rama) (O tiger among men)

• मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - for a moment (for a moment, for an instant)

• पश्य (paśya) - you (should) look at (look, see)

• तात (tāta) - my son (affectionate address to Rama) (father, son, dear one)

• माम् (mām) - me (Śarabhaṅga) (me)

• यावत् (yāvat) - while (as long as, while, until)

• जहामि (jahāmi) - I cast off (I abandon, I cast off, I leave)

• गात्राणि (gātrāṇi) - my body (limbs, body)

• जीर्णाम् (jīrṇām) - worn-out (worn out, old, decaying)

• त्वचम् (tvacam) - skin (skin, hide)

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, just as)

• उरगः (uragaḥ) - a snake (snake, serpent)

Words meanings and morphology

एषः (eṣaḥ) - this (path) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this, this here

Note: Demonstrative pronoun.

पन्थाः (panthāḥ) - the path (path, road)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pathin

pathin - path, road, way, course

Note: Refers to the path to final liberation or abandoning the body.

नरव्याघ्र (naravyāghra) - O tiger among men (addressing Rama) (O tiger among men)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of naravyāghra

naravyāghra - tiger among men, best of men

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nara+vyāghra)

• nara – man, human being
  noun (masculine)
• vyāghra – tiger
  noun (masculine)

Note: Epithet for Rama.

मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - for a moment (for a moment, for an instant)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of muhūrta

muhūrta - moment, instant, short period of time (unit of time)

Note: Functions as an adverb of time.

पश्य (paśya) - you (should) look at (look, see)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of dṛś

Root: dṛś (class 1)

तात (tāta) - my son (affectionate address to Rama) (father, son, dear one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of tāta

tāta - father, dear one, son (used as an address)

Note: Used by elders to address younger ones, or generally as an affectionate term.

माम् (mām) - me (Śarabhaṅga) (me)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

Note: Object of 'paśya'.

यावत् (yāvat) - while (as long as, while, until)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction introducing a temporal clause.

जहामि (jahāmi) - I cast off (I abandon, I cast off, I leave)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of hā

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Reduplicated root form.

गात्राणि (gātrāṇi) - my body (limbs, body)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of gātra

gātra - limb, body, member

Note: Object of 'jahāmi'.

जीर्णाम् (jīrṇām) - worn-out (worn out, old, decaying)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of jīrṇa

jīrṇa - worn out, old, decayed, digested

Past Passive Participle

root jṛ + kta

Root: jṛ

Note: Modifies 'tvacam'.

त्वचम् (tvacam) - skin (skin, hide)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tvac

tvac - skin, hide, bark

Note: Object of implied verb of shedding.

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, just as)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

उरगः (uragaḥ) - a snake (snake, serpent)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of uraga

uraga - snake, serpent (literally 'going on the chest')

Compound type : upapada tatpuruṣa (uras+ga)

• uras – breast, chest
  noun (neuter)
• ga – going, moving
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun from root gam
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Subject of the simile.