वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-4, chapter-63, verse-8

आकाशमिव दुष्पारं सागरं प्रेक्ष्य वानराः ।
विषेदुः सहसा सर्वे कथं कार्यमिति ब्रुवन् ॥८॥

8. ākāśamiva duṣpāraṃ sāgaraṃ prekṣya vānarāḥ ,
viṣeduḥ sahasā sarve kathaṃ kāryamiti bruvan.

8. ākāśam iva duṣpāram sāgaram prekṣya vānarāḥ |
viṣeduḥ sahasā sarve katham kāryam iti bruvan

8. sarve vānarāḥ ākāśam iva duṣpāram sāgaram
prekṣya sahasā viṣeduḥ katham kāryam iti bruvan

8. Upon observing the ocean, impassable like the sky, all the monkeys suddenly desponded, saying, 'How is this task to be accomplished?'

Words meanings summery:

• आकाशम् (ākāśam) - the vast, seemingly endless sky (sky, space, ether)

• इव (iva) - as if, like, similar to

• दुष्पारम् (duṣpāram) - impossible to traverse (difficult to cross, impassable)

• सागरम् (sāgaram) - ocean, sea

• प्रेक्ष्य (prekṣya) - having seen, having observed

• वानराः (vānarāḥ) - the group of monkeys led by Sugriva (monkeys)

• विषेदुः (viṣeduḥ) - they desponded, became dejected, became sad

• सहसा (sahasā) - all at once, with a sudden realization (suddenly, unexpectedly, forcibly)

• सर्वे (sarve) - all of the monkeys (all, everyone)

• कथम् (katham) - by what means? (how?, in what manner?)

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - the task (of crossing the ocean) (to be done, task, duty, work)

• इति (iti) - marking the direct speech (thus, so, in this manner)

• ब्रुवन् (bruvan) - while speaking or deliberating (saying, speaking)

Words meanings and morphology

आकाशम् (ākāśam) - the vast, seemingly endless sky (sky, space, ether)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ākāśa

ākāśa - sky, space, ether

From root √kāś (to appear, shine) with prefix ā-.

Prefix: ā

Root: kāś (class 1)

Note: Comparison point for the ocean's impassability.

इव (iva) - as if, like, similar to

(indeclinable)

दुष्पारम् (duṣpāram) - impossible to traverse (difficult to cross, impassable)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of duṣpāra

duṣpāra - difficult to cross, impassable

Compound: dus (difficult) + pāra (crossing). From root √pṛ (to cross).

Compound type : Prādi-Samāsa (dus+pāra)

• dus – bad, ill, difficult
  indeclinable
• pāra – crossing, shore, other side, ultimate end
  noun (masculine)
  From root √pṛ (to cross, carry over).
  Root: pṛ (class 3)

Note: Describes the ocean.

सागरम् (sāgaram) - ocean, sea

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sāgara

sāgara - ocean, sea (literally, 'with poison' or 'with islands', or 'related to Sagara')

From sa (with) + gara (poison) or sagara (king Sagara).

Note: Direct object of the gerund 'prekṣya'.

प्रेक्ष्य (prekṣya) - having seen, having observed

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From root √īkṣ (to see) with prefix pra-. Formed with -ya suffix (lyap).

Prefix: pra

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

वानराः (vānarāḥ) - the group of monkeys led by Sugriva (monkeys)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vānara

vānara - monkey

Literally 'forest-dweller' or 'belonging to the forest'. From vana (forest).

Note: Subject of viṣeduḥ.

विषेदुः (viṣeduḥ) - they desponded, became dejected, became sad

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (lit) of viṣad

Perfect Tense

Root √sad (to sit, sink) with prefix vi-, reduplicated.

Prefix: vi

Root: sad (class 1)

Note: Main verb of the sentence.

सहसा (sahasā) - all at once, with a sudden realization (suddenly, unexpectedly, forcibly)

(indeclinable)

Instrumental form of sahas (force, strength) used adverbially.

सर्वे (sarve) - all of the monkeys (all, everyone)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, complete

Note: Adjective agreeing with vānarāḥ.

कथम् (katham) - by what means? (how?, in what manner?)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb from kim (what).

कार्यम् (kāryam) - the task (of crossing the ocean) (to be done, task, duty, work)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - to be done, fit to be done, duty, work, affair

Gerundive

From root √kṛ (to do, make) + suffix -ya or -ṇya.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of an implied verb like bhavati (is).

इति (iti) - marking the direct speech (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

ब्रुवन् (bruvan) - while speaking or deliberating (saying, speaking)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bruvat

bruvat - saying, speaking

Present Active Participle

From root √brū (to speak) + śatṛ suffix.

Root: brū (class 2)

Note: Agrees with vānarāḥ.

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