वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-4, chapter-58, verse-24

अपक्षो हि कथं पक्षी कर्म किं चिदुपक्रमेत् ।
यत्तु शक्यं मया कर्तुं वाग्बुद्धिगुणवर्तिना ॥२४॥

24. apakṣo hi kathaṃ pakṣī karma kiṃ cidupakramet ,
yattu śakyaṃ mayā kartuṃ vāgbuddhiguṇavartinā.

24. apakṣaḥ hi katham pakṣī karma kim cit upakramet
yat tu śakyam mayā kartum vāgbuddiguṇavartinā

24. apakṣaḥ hi katham pakṣī kim cit karma upakramet
yat tu mayā vāgbuddiguṇavartinā kartum śakyam

24. Indeed, how can a wingless bird undertake any action (karma)? But what can be done by me, who is endowed with the qualities of speech and intellect (buddhi)...

Words meanings summery:

• अपक्षः (apakṣaḥ) - wingless (wingless, deprived of wings; without a party/supporter)

• हि (hi) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, for, because)

• कथम् (katham) - how (can it be done) (how, why)

• पक्षी (pakṣī) - bird

• कर्म (karma) - any action (karma) (action, deed, work, destiny)

• किम् (kim) - any (neuter) (what, which, who)

• चित् (cit) - (making 'kim' indefinite: 'any') (indeed, a certain, any)

• उपक्रमेत् (upakramet) - should undertake, should begin, should attempt

• यत् (yat) - what (can be done) (what, which, that (relative pronoun))

• तु (tu) - but, however (but, on the other hand, indeed)

• शक्यम् (śakyam) - (what is) possible to be done (possible, capable, feasible)

• मया (mayā) - by me

• कर्तुम् (kartum) - to do, to make

• वाग्बुद्दिगुणवर्तिना (vāgbuddiguṇavartinā) - by one endowed with the qualities of speech and intellect

Words meanings and morphology

अपक्षः (apakṣaḥ) - wingless (wingless, deprived of wings; without a party/supporter)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of apakṣa

apakṣa - wingless, without a party/supporter

From `a` (negative prefix) + `pakṣa` (wing).

Compound type : avyayībhāva (a+pakṣa)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• pakṣa – wing, side, party, half (of a lunar month)
  noun (masculine)

हि (hi) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, for, because)

(indeclinable)

कथम् (katham) - how (can it be done) (how, why)

(indeclinable)

पक्षी (pakṣī) - bird

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pakṣin

pakṣin - bird (literally 'having wings')

From `pakṣa` + `in` suffix.

कर्म (karma) - any action (karma) (action, deed, work, destiny)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, destiny, ritual act

From root `kṛ` (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

किम् (kim) - any (neuter) (what, which, who)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Here, accusative, agreeing with `karma`.

चित् (cit) - (making 'kim' indefinite: 'any') (indeed, a certain, any)

(indeclinable)

उपक्रमेत् (upakramet) - should undertake, should begin, should attempt

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of upakram

Prefix: upa

Root: kram (class 1)

यत् (yat) - what (can be done) (what, which, that (relative pronoun))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that (relative pronoun)

तु (tu) - but, however (but, on the other hand, indeed)

(indeclinable)

शक्यम् (śakyam) - (what is) possible to be done (possible, capable, feasible)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śakya

śakya - possible, feasible, capable of being done

gerundive (kṛtya)

From root `śak` (to be able) with suffix `yat`.

Root: śak (class 5)

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I, myself

Note: Agent in passive construction.

कर्तुम् (kartum) - to do, to make

(infinitive)

वाग्बुद्दिगुणवर्तिना (vāgbuddiguṇavartinā) - by one endowed with the qualities of speech and intellect

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of vāgbuddiguṇavartin

vāgbuddiguṇavartin - endowed with the qualities of speech and intellect

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (vāk+buddhi+guṇa+vartin)

• vāk – speech, voice, word
  noun (feminine)
  Root: vac (class 2)
• buddhi – intellect, understanding, mind
  noun (feminine)
  Root: budh (class 1)
• guṇa – quality, attribute, excellence, virtue
  noun (masculine)
• vartin – abiding, existing, having, possessing
  adjective
  present active participle (nominalized)
  From root `vṛt` (to be, exist) + `ṇin` suffix.
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Agrees with `mayā`.

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