वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-1, verse-6

स तस्य गिरिवर्यस्य तले नागवरायुते ।
तिष्ठन् कपिवरस्तत्र ह्रदे नाग इवाबभौ ॥६॥

6. sa tasya girivaryasya tale nāgavarāyute ,
tiṣṭhan kapivarastatra hrade nāga ivābabhau.

6. sa tasya girivaryasya tale nāgavarāyute
tiṣṭhan kapivaraḥ tatra hrade nāgaḥ iva babhau

6. Standing there at the base of that excellent mountain, which was adorned with mighty elephants, that preeminent ape appeared like a magnificent elephant (nāga) in a lake.

Words meanings summery:

• स (sa) - he (the excellent ape) (he, that)

• तस्य (tasya) - of that (mountain) (of that, his)

• गिरिवर्यस्य (girivaryasya) - of that excellent mountain (of the best mountain, of the excellent mountain)

• तले (tale) - at the base (of the mountain) (at the base, on the surface, on the plain)

• नागवरायुते (nāgavarāyute) - adorned with mighty elephants (endowed with excellent nāgas/elephants, full of best elephants)

• तिष्ठन् (tiṣṭhan) - standing (standing, staying, remaining)

• कपिवरः (kapivaraḥ) - that preeminent ape (excellent ape, best of monkeys)

• तत्र (tatra) - there (there, in that place)

• ह्रदे (hrade) - in a lake (in the lake, in the pond, in the deep pool)

• नागः (nāgaḥ) - an elephant (nāga) (serpent, elephant, mountain)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• बभौ (babhau) - appeared (shone, appeared, resembled, looked splendid)

Words meanings and morphology

स (sa) - he (the excellent ape) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to the main subject, the ape.

तस्य (tasya) - of that (mountain) (of that, his)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Qualifies girivaryasya.

गिरिवर्यस्य (girivaryasya) - of that excellent mountain (of the best mountain, of the excellent mountain)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of girivarya

girivarya - excellent mountain, best of mountains

Compound of giri (mountain) and varya (excellent, best).

Compound type : tatpurusha (giri+varya)

• giri – mountain, hill
  noun (masculine)
  Root: gṛ (class 6)
• varya – excellent, best, choicest
  adjective (masculine)
  Gerundive
  From root 'vṛ' (to choose) with yat suffix, meaning 'to be chosen'.
  Root: vṛ (class 9)

तले (tale) - at the base (of the mountain) (at the base, on the surface, on the plain)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tala

tala - base, bottom, surface, plain

Root: tal (class 1)

नागवरायुते (nāgavarāyute) - adorned with mighty elephants (endowed with excellent nāgas/elephants, full of best elephants)

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of nāgavarāyuta

nāgavarāyuta - endowed with excellent elephants/serpents

Compound of nāgavara (best elephant/serpent) and āyuta (endowed with).

Compound type : tatpurusha (nāgavara+āyuta)

• nāga – elephant, serpent (pannaga), mountain
  noun (masculine)
• vara – excellent, best, superior
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: vṛ (class 9)
• āyuta – joined, endowed with, full of, connected
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  P.P.P. of root yu (to join) with prefix ā.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: yu (class 2)

Note: Qualifies tale.

तिष्ठन् (tiṣṭhan) - standing (standing, staying, remaining)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tiṣṭhan

sthā - to stand, to stay, to remain

Present Active Participle

Present stem tiṣṭha- + śatṛ suffix.

Root: sthā (class 1)

कपिवरः (kapivaraḥ) - that preeminent ape (excellent ape, best of monkeys)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kapivara

kapivara - excellent ape, chief of monkeys

Compound of kapi (ape) and vara (excellent, best).

Compound type : tatpurusha (kapi+vara)

• kapi – ape, monkey
  noun (masculine)
• vara – excellent, best, choicest
  adjective (masculine)
  Gerundive
  From root 'vṛ' (to choose) with yat suffix, meaning 'to be chosen'.
  Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Subject of ababhau.

तत्र (tatra) - there (there, in that place)

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place.

Note: Modifies tiṣṭhan.

ह्रदे (hrade) - in a lake (in the lake, in the pond, in the deep pool)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of hrada

hrada - lake, pond, deep pool, reservoir

From root hrad (to sound, to make a noise).

Root: hrad (class 1)

Note: Refers to the location where the elephant would be.

नागः (nāgaḥ) - an elephant (nāga) (serpent, elephant, mountain)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nāga

nāga - serpent, elephant, mountain, certain tribal people

From root nag (to move). Often refers to a snake, but also a cloud or an elephant depending on context.

Root: nag (class 1)

Note: Term of comparison.

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison.

Note: Forms a simile.

बभौ (babhau) - appeared (shone, appeared, resembled, looked splendid)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of bhā

Perfect Indicative

Root bhā (to shine), perfect tense, 3rd person singular.

Root: bhā (class 2)

Note: Main verb of the sentence.