वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-48, verse-9

राजा धर्मश्च कामश्च द्रव्याणां चोत्तमो निधिः ।
धर्मः शुभं वा पापं वा राजमूलं प्रवर्तते ॥९॥

9. rājā dharmaśca kāmaśca dravyāṇāṃ cottamo nidhiḥ ,
dharmaḥ śubhaṃ vā pāpaṃ vā rājamūlaṃ pravartate.

9. rājā dharmaḥ ca kāmaḥ ca dravyāṇām ca uttamaḥ nidhiḥ
dharmaḥ śubham vā pāpam vā rājamūlam pravartate

9. rājā dharmaḥ ca kāmaḥ ca,
dravyāṇām ca uttamaḥ nidhiḥ.
śubham vā pāpam vā dharmaḥ rājamūlam pravartate.

9. The king is the embodiment of natural law (dharma) and pleasure (kāma), and he is also the supreme treasury of all resources. Whether the natural law (dharma) manifests as good or evil, it always originates from the king.

Words meanings summery:

• राजा (rājā) - king, ruler

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty (dharma)

• च (ca) - and

• कामः (kāmaḥ) - desire, pleasure, love (kāma)

• च (ca) - and

• द्रव्याणाम् (dravyāṇām) - of resources, of substances, of wealth

• च (ca) - and

• उत्तमः (uttamaḥ) - the best, highest, excellent

• निधिः (nidhiḥ) - treasure, store, receptacle

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty (dharma)

• शुभम् (śubham) - good, auspicious, pure

• वा (vā) - or, and

• पापम् (pāpam) - evil, sin, wicked

• वा (vā) - or, and

• राजमूलम् (rājamūlam) - having the king as its root/source

• प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - it proceeds, originates, functions, occurs

Words meanings and morphology

राजा (rājā) - king, ruler

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, sovereign

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty (dharma)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, cosmic order, intrinsic nature

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

कामः (kāmaḥ) - desire, pleasure, love (kāma)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, love, pleasure, sensual gratification

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

द्रव्याणाम् (dravyāṇām) - of resources, of substances, of wealth

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of dravya

dravya - substance, wealth, resource, thing, material

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

उत्तमः (uttamaḥ) - the best, highest, excellent

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of uttama

uttama - best, highest, excellent, principal, supreme

Prefix: ud

Root: tam

निधिः (nidhiḥ) - treasure, store, receptacle

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nidhi

nidhi - treasure, store, receptacle, fund, deposit

Prefix: ni

Root: dhā (class 3)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty (dharma)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, cosmic order, intrinsic nature

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

शुभम् (śubham) - good, auspicious, pure

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śubha

śubha - auspicious, good, beautiful, pure, fortunate

Note: Used here as a predicate adjective describing the nature of dharma.

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

पापम् (pāpam) - evil, sin, wicked

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pāpa

pāpa - evil, wicked, sinful, bad, vice

Note: Used here as a predicate adjective describing the nature of dharma.

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

राजमूलम् (rājamūlam) - having the king as its root/source

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rājamūla

rājamūla - having the king as its source or root, originating from the king

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (rājan+mūla)

• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
• mūla – root, origin, source, foundation
  noun (neuter)

प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - it proceeds, originates, functions, occurs

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of pravṛt

Derived from root vṛt (to be, to exist, to turn) with prefix pra.

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)