वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-4, chapter-56, verse-16

ते वयं दण्दकारण्यं विचित्य सुसमाहिताः ।
अज्ञानात्तु प्रविष्टाः स्म धरण्या विवृतं बिलम् ॥१६॥

16. te vayaṃ daṇdakāraṇyaṃ vicitya susamāhitāḥ ,
ajñānāttu praviṣṭāḥ sma dharaṇyā vivṛtaṃ bilam.

16. te vayam daṇḍakāraṇyam vicitya susamāhitāḥ |
ajñānāt tu praviṣṭāḥ sma dharaṇyā vivṛtam bilam

16. te vayam daṇḍakāraṇyam vicitya susamāhitāḥ
ajñānāt tu dharaṇyā vivṛtam bilam praviṣṭāḥ sma

16. We, having searched the Daṇḍaka forest carefully, have unwittingly entered a cave opened in the earth.

Words meanings summery:

• ते (te) - those, they

• वयम् (vayam) - we

• दण्डकारण्यम् (daṇḍakāraṇyam) - The forest where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana spent a portion of their exile (Daṇḍaka forest)

• विचित्य (vicitya) - having searched, having investigated

• सुसमाहिताः (susamāhitāḥ) - Having searched very carefully or diligently. (very attentive, well-composed, concentrated, carefully)

• अज्ञानात् (ajñānāt) - from ignorance, unknowingly, unwittingly

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet, however

• प्रविष्टाः (praviṣṭāḥ) - entered, having entered

• स्म (sma) - (an auxiliary particle, forms past tense with present verbs/participles)

• धरण्या (dharaṇyā) - by the earth, of the earth

• विवृतम् (vivṛtam) - opened, uncovered, revealed

• बिलम् (bilam) - cave, hole, burrow

Words meanings and morphology

ते (te) - those, they

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Refers to the group of monkeys.

वयम् (vayam) - we

(pronoun)

Nominative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Subject of the sentence.

दण्डकारण्यम् (daṇḍakāraṇyam) - The forest where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana spent a portion of their exile (Daṇḍaka forest)

(proper noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of daṇḍakāraṇya

daṇḍakāraṇya - Daṇḍaka forest

Compound of Daṇḍaka and Araṇya

Compound type : tatpurusha (daṇḍaka+araṇya)

• daṇḍaka – Daṇḍaka (name of a forest)
  proper noun (neuter)
• araṇya – forest, wilderness
  noun (neuter)

Note: Object of 'vicitya'.

विचित्य (vicitya) - having searched, having investigated

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From vi- + ci (to gather, search) + lyap

Prefix: vi

Root: ci (class 5)

Note: Describes the action completed before entering the cave.

सुसमाहिताः (susamāhitāḥ) - Having searched very carefully or diligently. (very attentive, well-composed, concentrated, carefully)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of susamāhita

susamāhita - very attentive, well-composed, concentrated, carefully placed

Past Passive Participle

From su- + sam- + ā- + dhā (to place, put) + kta

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+samāhita)

• su – good, well, very
  indeclinable
  Prefix
• samāhita – composed, collected, attentive, placed
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From sam- + ā- + dhā (to place, put) + kta
  Prefixes: sam+ā
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'vayam' and implies diligence in searching.

अज्ञानात् (ajñānāt) - from ignorance, unknowingly, unwittingly

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of ajñāna

ajñāna - ignorance, lack of knowledge

Compound of a (not) and jñāna (knowledge)

Compound type : nañ-tatpurusha (a+jñāna)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative particle
• jñāna – knowledge, wisdom
  noun (neuter)
  From root jñā (to know)
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Indicates the cause or reason.

तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet, however

(indeclinable)

प्रविष्टाः (praviṣṭāḥ) - entered, having entered

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of praviṣṭa

praviṣṭa - entered, penetrated

Past Passive Participle

From pra- + viś (to enter) + kta

Prefix: pra

Root: viś (class 6)

Note: Forms a periphrastic past tense with 'sma'.

स्म (sma) - (an auxiliary particle, forms past tense with present verbs/participles)

(indeclinable)

Note: Forms a periphrastic past tense with 'praviṣṭāḥ'.

धरण्या (dharaṇyā) - by the earth, of the earth

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of dharaṇī

dharaṇī - earth, ground

Note: Agent of 'vivṛtam'.

विवृतम् (vivṛtam) - opened, uncovered, revealed

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vivṛta

vivṛta - opened, uncovered, revealed

Past Passive Participle

From vi- + vṛ (to cover, choose) or vṛ (to open, turn) + kta

Prefix: vi

Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Qualifies 'bilam'.

बिलम् (bilam) - cave, hole, burrow

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of bila

bila - cave, hole, burrow

Note: Object of 'praviṣṭāḥ'.