वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-5, verse-2

वैखानसा वालखिल्याः संप्रक्षाला मरीचिपाः ।
अश्मकुट्टाश्च बहवः पत्राहाराश्च तापसाः ॥२॥

2. vaikhānasā vālakhilyāḥ saṃprakṣālā marīcipāḥ ,
aśmakuṭṭāśca bahavaḥ patrāhārāśca tāpasāḥ.

2. vaikhānasāḥ vālakhyāḥ saṃprakṣālāḥ marīcipāḥ
aśmakuṭṭāḥ ca bahavaḥ patrāhārāḥ ca tāpasāḥ

2. bahavaḥ tāpasāḥ vaikhānasāḥ vālakhyāḥ saṃprakṣālāḥ
marīcipāḥ aśmakuṭṭāḥ ca patrāhārāḥ ca

2. There were many ascetics, including Vaikhānasa and Vālakhilya hermits, those who thoroughly washed their vessels, those who subsisted on sun rays, those who pounded grain with stones, and those who ate only leaves.

Words meanings summery:

• वैखानसाः (vaikhānasāḥ) - hermits of the Vaikhānasa order, forest dwellers, ascetics

• वालख्याः (vālakhyāḥ) - hermits of the Vālakhilya order, a class of minute sages

• संप्रक्षालाः (saṁprakṣālāḥ) - ascetics who wash their vessels thoroughly or only once (a specific practice) (those who wash thoroughly, those who wash their vessels once)

• मरीचिपाः (marīcipāḥ) - ascetics who subsist on sunbeams or moonlight (those who drink rays, those who subsist on sun/moon rays)

• अश्मकुट्टाः (aśmakuṭṭāḥ) - ascetics who pound corn with stones for food preparation (those who pound grain with stones, stone-pounders)

• च (ca) - and, also

• बहवः (bahavaḥ) - many, numerous

• पत्राहाराः (patrāhārāḥ) - ascetics who subsist only on leaves (those who subsist on leaves, leaf-eaters)

• च (ca) - and, also

• तापसाः (tāpasāḥ) - ascetics, hermits, penitents

Words meanings and morphology

वैखानसाः (vaikhānasāḥ) - hermits of the Vaikhānasa order, forest dwellers, ascetics

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vaikhānasa

vaikhānasa - a class of hermits, forest dweller, follower of Vaikhānasa Sūtra

derived from Vikhānas

वालख्याः (vālakhyāḥ) - hermits of the Vālakhilya order, a class of minute sages

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vālakhilya

vālakhilya - a class of minute sages, a specific order of hermits

संप्रक्षालाः (saṁprakṣālāḥ) - ascetics who wash their vessels thoroughly or only once (a specific practice) (those who wash thoroughly, those who wash their vessels once)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of saṃprakṣāla

saṁprakṣāla - one who washes his vessel thoroughly (or only once, a specific ascetic practice)

Prefixes: sam+pra

Root: kṣal (class 1)

मरीचिपाः (marīcipāḥ) - ascetics who subsist on sunbeams or moonlight (those who drink rays, those who subsist on sun/moon rays)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of marīcipa

marīcipa - one who drinks sunbeams or moonlight; an ascetic subsisting on light

Formed from marīci (ray) + pa (drinker, from root pā - to drink)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (marīci+pa)

• marīci – ray, beam of light
  noun (feminine)
• pa – drinker
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun
  From root pā (to drink)
  Root: pā (class 1)

अश्मकुट्टाः (aśmakuṭṭāḥ) - ascetics who pound corn with stones for food preparation (those who pound grain with stones, stone-pounders)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of aśmakuṭṭa

aśmakuṭṭa - one who pounds corn with a stone

Formed from aśman (stone) + kuṭṭa (pounder, from root kuṭṭ - to pound)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (aśman+kuṭṭa)

• aśman – stone, rock
  noun (masculine)
• kuṭṭa – pounding, crushing; one who pounds
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun
  From root kuṭṭ (to pound)
  Root: kuṭṭ (class 10)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

बहवः (bahavaḥ) - many, numerous

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous, abundant

Note: Refers to tāpasāḥ.

पत्राहाराः (patrāhārāḥ) - ascetics who subsist only on leaves (those who subsist on leaves, leaf-eaters)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of patrāhāra

patrāhāra - one who subsists on leaves

Formed from patra (leaf) + āhāra (food, eating)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (patra+āhāra)

• patra – leaf, feather
  noun (neuter)
• āhāra – food, sustenance, eating
  noun (masculine)
  From root hṛ (to seize, carry) with prefix ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: hṛ (class 1)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

तापसाः (tāpasāḥ) - ascetics, hermits, penitents

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tāpasa

tāpasa - an ascetic, a hermit, one who performs austerities (tapas)

From tapas (austerity)

Note: Main noun referring to the group of ascetics.