वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-4, chapter-17, verse-19

सतां वेषधरं पापं प्रच्छन्नमिव पावकम् ।
नाहं त्वामभिजानानि धर्मच्छद्माभिसंवृतम् ॥१९॥

19. satāṃ veṣadharaṃ pāpaṃ pracchannamiva pāvakam ,
nāhaṃ tvāmabhijānāni dharmacchadmābhisaṃvṛtam.

19. satām veṣadharam pāpam pracchannam iva pāvakam
na aham tvām abhijānāni dharmacchadmābhisamvṛtam

19. aham tvām satām veṣadharam,
pracchannam pāvakam iva pāpam,
dharmacchadmābhisamvṛtam na abhijānāni

19. I did not recognize you to be an evil person (pāpa) assuming the garb of the virtuous, like hidden fire, enveloped by a deceptive facade of (dharma) righteousness.

Words meanings summery:

• सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the virtuous, of the righteous

• वेषधरम् (veṣadharam) - wearing the guise/disguise, appearing as

• पापम् (pāpam) - wicked, evil, sinful, an evil person

• प्रच्छन्नम् (pracchannam) - hidden, concealed, secret

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• पावकम् (pāvakam) - fire, purifier

• न (na) - not, no

• अहम् (aham) - I

• त्वाम् (tvām) - you (accusative)

• अभिजानानि (abhijānāni) - I did not recognize (you before this incident). (I recognized, I knew)

• धर्मच्छद्माभिसम्वृतम् (dharmacchadmābhisamvṛtam) - enveloped by a disguise of righteousness (dharma), covered by religious hypocrisy

Words meanings and morphology

सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the virtuous, of the righteous

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - being, existing, good, virtuous, true

Present Active Participle

Present active participle of the root 'as' (to be).

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Modifies 'veṣadharam' indirectly, referring to 'the garb of the virtuous ones'.

वेषधरम् (veṣadharam) - wearing the guise/disguise, appearing as

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of veṣadhara

veṣadhara - wearing a dress, disguised as, assuming the guise of

Compound of 'veṣa' (garb) and 'dhara' (bearing, wearing).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (veṣa+dhara)

• veṣa – dress, garb, disguise, appearance
  noun (masculine)
• dhara – bearing, wearing, holding
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun
  Derived from root 'dhṛ' (to bear, hold).
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'tvām' (implied).

पापम् (pāpam) - wicked, evil, sinful, an evil person

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pāpa

pāpa - sin, evil, wicked, bad, an evil person

Note: Modifies 'tvām' (implied).

प्रच्छन्नम् (pracchannam) - hidden, concealed, secret

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pracchanna

pracchanna - hidden, concealed, secret, disguised

Past Passive Participle

Derived from the root 'chad' (to cover, conceal) with prefix 'pra-'.

Prefix: pra

Root: chad (class 10)

Note: Modifies 'pāvakam'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

पावकम् (pāvakam) - fire, purifier

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pāvaka

pāvaka - fire, purifier, pure, clear

Derived from the root 'pū' (to purify).

Root: pū (class 1)

Note: Object of comparison for 'tvām'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Used with 'abhijānāni' for negation.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

त्वाम् (tvām) - you (accusative)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

अभिजानानि (abhijānāni) - I did not recognize (you before this incident). (I recognized, I knew)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, imperfect/injunctive (past sense) (laṅ / luṅ) of abhijñā

Can be an injunctive (luṅ), imperfect (laṅ), or less commonly an older present (laṭ) 1st person singular form. Contextually, implies past non-recognition.

Prefix: abhi

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: This form can be interpreted as imperfect indicative or injunctive, both conveying a past sense of not knowing/recognizing when negated.

धर्मच्छद्माभिसम्वृतम् (dharmacchadmābhisamvṛtam) - enveloped by a disguise of righteousness (dharma), covered by religious hypocrisy

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharmacchadmābhisamvṛta

dharmacchadmābhisamvṛta - covered by the disguise of righteousness, enveloped by religious hypocrisy

Compound of 'dharmacchadman' (disguise of dharma) and 'abhisamvṛta' (covered, enveloped).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (dharmacchadman+abhisamvṛta)

• dharmacchadman – disguise of righteousness, religious hypocrisy
  noun (neuter)
  Compound of 'dharma' and 'chadman'.
• abhisamvṛta – covered, enveloped, concealed
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from the root 'vṛ' (to cover, enclose) with prefixes 'abhi-' and 'sam-'.
  Prefixes: abhi+sam
  Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Modifies 'tvām'.

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