वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-4, chapter-17, verse-42

न्यस्तां सागरतोये वा पाताले वापि मैथिलीम् ।
जानयेयं तवादेशाच्छ्वेतामश्वतरीमिव ॥४२॥

42. nyastāṃ sāgaratoye vā pātāle vāpi maithilīm ,
jānayeyaṃ tavādeśācchvetāmaśvatarīmiva.

42. nyastām sāgaratoye vā pātāle vā api maithilīm
jānayeyam tava ādeśāt śvetām aśvatarīm iva

42. tava ādeśāt,
maithilīm sāgaratoye vā pātāle vā api nyastām api śvetām aśvatarīm iva jānayeyam

42. By your command, I would ascertain the whereabouts of Maithilī (Sītā), even if she were placed in the ocean's waters or indeed in the netherworld (pātāla), just as one would recognize a white she-mule.

Words meanings summery:

• न्यस्ताम् (nyastām) - placed, hidden (placed, deposited, set down, hidden)

• सागरतोये (sāgaratoye) - in the ocean's waters (in ocean water)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either)

• पाताले (pātāle) - in the netherworld (pātāla) (in the netherworld, in Pātāla)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either)

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• मैथिलीम् (maithilīm) - Maithilī (Sītā) (Maithilī (Sītā, daughter of Mithila's king))

• जानयेयम् (jānayeyam) - I would ascertain the whereabouts (I would make known, I would ascertain, I would cause to know)

• तव (tava) - your (Rāma's) (your, of you)

• आदेशात् (ādeśāt) - by your command (from command, by order)

• श्वेताम् (śvetām) - white

• अश्वतरीम् (aśvatarīm) - a she-mule (she-mule)

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

Words meanings and morphology

न्यस्ताम् (nyastām) - placed, hidden (placed, deposited, set down, hidden)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nyasta

nyasta - placed, deposited, laid down, hidden, abandoned

Past Passive Participle

From ni- + root as (to throw, to place)

Prefix: ni

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'maithilīm'.

सागरतोये (sāgaratoye) - in the ocean's waters (in ocean water)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of sāgaratoya

sāgaratoya - ocean water

Tatpurusha compound: sāgara (ocean) + toya (water)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sāgara+toya)

• sāgara – ocean, sea
  noun (masculine)
• toya – water
  noun (neuter)
  From root tu (to swell, to be strong)
  Root: tu (class 1)

वा (vā) - or (or, either)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

पाताले (pātāle) - in the netherworld (pātāla) (in the netherworld, in Pātāla)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of pātāla

pātāla - netherworld, subterranean regions, one of the seven regions below the earth

वा (vā) - or (or, either)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

Note: Repeated for 'or even'.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

Particle.

मैथिलीम् (maithilīm) - Maithilī (Sītā) (Maithilī (Sītā, daughter of Mithila's king))

(proper noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of maithilī

maithilī - Maithilī, princess of Mithila (an epithet for Sītā)

Feminine of maithila (belonging to Mithila).

जानयेयम् (jānayeyam) - I would ascertain the whereabouts (I would make known, I would ascertain, I would cause to know)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of jñā

Optative Mood, Causative

From root jñā (to know), with causative suffix -ayi- and optative ending.

Root: jñā (class 9)

तव (tava) - your (Rāma's) (your, of you)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Genitive singular.

Note: Possessive, refers to 'ādeśāt'.

आदेशात् (ādeśāt) - by your command (from command, by order)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of ādeśa

ādeśa - command, order, instruction, direction

From ā- + root diś (to point out, to command)

Prefix: ā

Root: diś (class 6)

श्वेताम् (śvetām) - white

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śvetā

śveta - white, bright, pure

Feminine form śvetā.

Root: śvit (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'aśvatarīm'.

अश्वतरीम् (aśvatarīm) - a she-mule (she-mule)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of aśvatarī

aśvatarī - she-mule (female mule)

Feminine form of aśvatara (mule), which is a compound of aśva (horse) + tara (crossing, passing)

Note: Object of comparison with 'iva'.

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Particle indicating comparison.

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