वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-3, chapter-8, verse-27

आत्मानं नियमैस्तैस्तैः कर्षयित्वा प्रयत्नतः ।
प्राप्यते निपुणैर्धर्मो न सुखाल् लभ्यते सुखम् ॥२७॥

27. ātmānaṃ niyamaistaistaiḥ karṣayitvā prayatnataḥ ,
prāpyate nipuṇairdharmo na sukhāl labhyate sukham.

27. ātmānam niyamaiḥ taiḥ taiḥ karṣayitvā prayatnataḥ
prāpyate nipuṇaiḥ dharmaḥ na sukhāt labhyate sukham

27. prayatnataḥ taiḥ taiḥ niyamaiḥ ātmānam karṣayitvā
nipuṇaiḥ dharmaḥ prāpyate sukham sukhāt na labhyate

27. Having diligently disciplined the self (ātman) through various rules, natural law (dharma) is attained by the skillful. True happiness (sukham) is not gained from mere comfort or ease.

Words meanings summery:

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - the self (ātman) (the self, the soul, the essence (accusative))

• नियमैः (niyamaiḥ) - through rules (by rules, by restraints, by disciplines)

• तैः (taiḥ) - through those (by those, with those)

• तैः (taiḥ) - through various (used for emphasis 'those various') (by those, with those)

• कर्षयित्वा (karṣayitvā) - having disciplined (having afflicted, having disciplined, having drawn out, having emaciated)

• प्रयत्नतः (prayatnataḥ) - diligently (with effort, diligently, strenuously)

• प्राप्यते (prāpyate) - is attained (is attained, is obtained, is acquired)

• निपुणैः (nipuṇaiḥ) - by the skillful (by the skillful, by the expert, by the clever)

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

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• सुखात् (sukhāt) - from mere comfort or ease (from happiness, from ease, easily)

• लभ्यते (labhyate) - is gained (is obtained, is gained, is acquired)

• सुखम् (sukham) - true happiness (sukham) (happiness, joy, comfort, pleasure)

Words meanings and morphology

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - the self (ātman) (the self, the soul, the essence (accusative))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, individual soul, essence

नियमैः (niyamaiḥ) - through rules (by rules, by restraints, by disciplines)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of niyama

niyama - restraint, rule, discipline, moral obligation

From root yam (to restrain) with prefix ni

Prefix: ni

Root: yam (class 1)

तैः (taiḥ) - through those (by those, with those)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Instrumental plural masculine of tad (that)

तैः (taiḥ) - through various (used for emphasis 'those various') (by those, with those)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Instrumental plural masculine of tad (that)

कर्षयित्वा (karṣayitvā) - having disciplined (having afflicted, having disciplined, having drawn out, having emaciated)

(indeclinable)

absolutive/gerund (causative)

Causative absolutive/gerund from root kṛṣ (class 1), formed with suffix -tvā

Root: kṛṣ (class 1)

Note: Often means 'to make thin/weak', here implies rigorous discipline.

प्रयत्नतः (prayatnataḥ) - diligently (with effort, diligently, strenuously)

(indeclinable)

From prayatna (noun) with suffix -taḥ (meaning 'by means of', 'from', 'with respect to')

प्राप्यते (prāpyate) - is attained (is attained, is obtained, is acquired)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of āp

present passive third singular

From root āp (class 5, svādi) with prefix pra, ātmanepada, present tense (laṭ), 3rd person singular, passive voice

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

निपुणैः (nipuṇaiḥ) - by the skillful (by the skillful, by the expert, by the clever)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of nipuṇa

nipuṇa - skillful, clever, expert, able

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

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

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

From root dhṛ (to hold, support)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

सुखात् (sukhāt) - from mere comfort or ease (from happiness, from ease, easily)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, joy, pleasure, comfort, ease

Note: Implies 'by easy means' or 'from comfort'

लभ्यते (labhyate) - is gained (is obtained, is gained, is acquired)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of labh

present passive third singular

From root labh (class 1, bhvādi), ātmanepada, present tense (laṭ), 3rd person singular, passive voice

Root: labh (class 1)

सुखम् (sukham) - true happiness (sukham) (happiness, joy, comfort, pleasure)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, joy, pleasure, comfort, ease

Note: Refers to the ultimate happiness or wellbeing, contrasted with mere comfort.