वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-4, chapter-18, verse-16

चपलश्चपलैः सार्धं वानरैरकृतात्मभिः ।
जात्यन्ध इव जात्यन्धैर्मन्त्रयन्द्रक्ष्यसे नु किम् ॥१६॥

16. capalaścapalaiḥ sārdhaṃ vānarairakṛtātmabhiḥ ,
jātyandha iva jātyandhairmantrayandrakṣyase nu kim.

16. capalaḥ capalaiḥ sārdham vānaraiḥ akṛtātmabhiḥ
jātyandhaḥ iva jātyandhaiḥ mantrayan drakṣyase nu kim

16. capalaḥ (tvam) akṛtātmabhiḥ capalaiḥ vānaraiḥ sārdham mantrayan jātyandhaḥ iva jātyandhaiḥ (saha mantrayan),
nu kim drakṣyase

16. Being unsteady yourself, if you consult with other fickle monkeys whose selves (ātman) are uncultivated, what will you indeed achieve? It is like a person born blind seeking advice from others also born blind.

Words meanings summery:

• चपलः (capalaḥ) - you, who are naturally unsteady (fickle, unsteady, restless, swift)

• चपलैः (capalaiḥ) - with other fickle individuals (with fickle ones, by unsteady ones)

• सार्धम् (sārdham) - together with, along with, with

• वानरैः (vānaraiḥ) - with monkeys, by monkeys

• अकृतात्मभिः (akṛtātmabhiḥ) - with those monkeys who lack self-discipline or refined character (with those whose selves are uncultivated, with undisciplined ones, with those lacking self-control)

• जात्यन्धः (jātyandhaḥ) - one born blind, congenital blind person

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if, similar to

• जात्यन्धैः (jātyandhaiḥ) - with those born blind, by persons born blind

• मन्त्रयन् (mantrayan) - engaging in consultation or discussion (consulting, deliberating, advising)

• द्रक्ष्यसे (drakṣyase) - what benefit will you gain or realize? (you will see, you will achieve, you will perceive)

• नु (nu) - an emphatic particle, emphasizing the rhetorical question (indeed, surely, then, now)

• किम् (kim) - what (profit or good result)? (what? why?)

Words meanings and morphology

चपलः (capalaḥ) - you, who are naturally unsteady (fickle, unsteady, restless, swift)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of capala

capala - fickle, unsteady, quick, swift, tremulous

Note: Refers to the implicit 'you' (tvam)

चपलैः (capalaiḥ) - with other fickle individuals (with fickle ones, by unsteady ones)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of capala

capala - fickle, unsteady, quick, swift, tremulous

Note: Refers to the monkeys (vānaraiḥ)

सार्धम् (sārdham) - together with, along with, with

(indeclinable)

वानरैः (vānaraiḥ) - with monkeys, by monkeys

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of vānara

vānara - monkey, ape

अकृतात्मभिः (akṛtātmabhiḥ) - with those monkeys who lack self-discipline or refined character (with those whose selves are uncultivated, with undisciplined ones, with those lacking self-control)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of akṛtātman

akṛtātman - one whose self is not trained, uncultivated, undisciplined

Compound type : bahuvrihi (akṛta+ātman)

• akṛta – undone, unmade, uncultivated
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Negated 'kṛta' (done) from √kṛ (to do)
  Prefix: a
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to the monkeys (vānaraiḥ)

जात्यन्धः (jātyandhaḥ) - one born blind, congenital blind person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jātyandha

jātyandha - blind by birth, born blind

Compound type : tatpurusha (jāti+andha)

• jāti – birth, lineage, species, natural state
  noun (feminine)
• andha – blind
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Used in simile 'jātyandha iva' (like a blind person)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if, similar to

(indeclinable)

जात्यन्धैः (jātyandhaiḥ) - with those born blind, by persons born blind

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of jātyandha

jātyandha - blind by birth, born blind

Compound type : tatpurusha (jāti+andha)

• jāti – birth, lineage, species, natural state
  noun (feminine)
• andha – blind
  adjective (masculine)

मन्त्रयन् (mantrayan) - engaging in consultation or discussion (consulting, deliberating, advising)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mantrayat

mantrayat - consulting, deliberating, advising

Present Active Participle

Derived from the denominative verb 'mantrayati' (to consult) from 'mantra'

Root: mantr (class 10)

Note: Refers to the implicit 'you' (tvam)

द्रक्ष्यसे (drakṣyase) - what benefit will you gain or realize? (you will see, you will achieve, you will perceive)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, future indicative (lṛṭ) of dṛś

Future tense, middle voice, 2nd person singular

Root: dṛś (class 1)

नु (nu) - an emphatic particle, emphasizing the rhetorical question (indeed, surely, then, now)

(indeclinable)

किम् (kim) - what (profit or good result)? (what? why?)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what? who? which? why?

Note: Often functions as an interrogative particle in such contexts