वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-17, verse-15

पतिशोकातुरां शुष्कां नदीं विस्रावितामिव ।
परया मृजया हीनां कृष्णपक्षे निशामिव ॥१५॥

15. patiśokāturāṃ śuṣkāṃ nadīṃ visrāvitāmiva ,
parayā mṛjayā hīnāṃ kṛṣṇapakṣe niśāmiva.

15. patiśokāturām śuṣkām nadīm visrāvītām iva
parayā mr̥jayā hīnām kr̥ṣṇapakṣe niśām iva

15. patiśokāturām śuṣkām visrāvītām nadīm iva
parayā mr̥jayā hīnām kr̥ṣṇapakṣe niśām iva

15. Afflicted by sorrow for her husband (pati), she was like a dried-up river whose waters have been drained away, and like a night in the dark fortnight, devoid of great splendor.

Words meanings summery:

• पतिशोकातुराम् (patiśokāturām) - agitated by sorrow for husband

• शुष्काम् (śuṣkām) - dried up (dry, withered)

• नदीम् (nadīm) - river

• विस्रावीताम् (visrāvītām) - drained of its water (made to flow away, drained)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as if)

• परया (parayā) - by great, by utmost (by excellent, by supreme, by maximum)

• म्र्̥जया (mr̥jayā) - by splendor, by beauty/adornment (by cleanliness, by purity, by luster, by adornment)

• हीनाम् (hīnām) - devoid of (deprived of, devoid of, left)

• क्र्̥ष्णपक्षे (kr̥ṣṇapakṣe) - in the dark fortnight, in the waning moon period

• निशाम् (niśām) - night

• इव (iva) - like (like, as if)

Words meanings and morphology

पतिशोकातुराम् (patiśokāturām) - agitated by sorrow for husband

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of patiśokāturā

patiśokāturā - distressed by grief for husband

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pati+śoka+āturā)

• pati – master, lord, husband
  noun (masculine)
• śoka – sorrow, grief, lamentation
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root śuc (to mourn).
  Root: śuc (class 1)
• ātura – distressed, afflicted, sick
  adjective

Note: Describes Sītā directly, and implicitly the nadīm.

शुष्काम् (śuṣkām) - dried up (dry, withered)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śuṣkā

śuṣka - dry, dried up, withered

Past Passive Participle

From root śuṣ (to dry).

Root: śuṣ (class 4)

Note: Describes the river.

नदीम् (nadīm) - river

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nadī

nadī - river, stream

Root: nad (class 1)

Note: The object of comparison.

विस्रावीताम् (visrāvītām) - drained of its water (made to flow away, drained)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of visrāvītā

visrāvita - made to flow, drained, caused to pour out

Past Passive Participle (causal)

Causal of vi-sru (to flow away). sru (to flow) -> srāvayati (causes to flow) -> srāvita (caused to flow). vi-srāvita.

Prefix: vi

Root: sru (class 1)

Note: Describes the river.

इव (iva) - like (like, as if)

(indeclinable)

परया (parayā) - by great, by utmost (by excellent, by supreme, by maximum)

(adjective)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of parā

para - supreme, excellent, highest, other, distant

Note: Modifies mr̥jayā.

म्र्̥जया (mr̥jayā) - by splendor, by beauty/adornment (by cleanliness, by purity, by luster, by adornment)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of mr̥jā

mr̥jā - cleanliness, purity, luster, adornment, beauty

From root mr̥j (to clean).

Root: mr̥j (class 2)

हीनाम् (hīnām) - devoid of (deprived of, devoid of, left)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of hīnā

hīna - deprived of, deficient, low, inferior

Past Passive Participle

From root hā (to abandon, quit).

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Modifies niśām.

क्र्̥ष्णपक्षे (kr̥ṣṇapakṣe) - in the dark fortnight, in the waning moon period

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kr̥ṣṇapakṣa

kr̥ṣṇapakṣa - the dark fortnight (of the lunar month), the waning moon period

kr̥ṣṇa (dark) + pakṣa (fortnight/wing).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (kr̥ṣṇa+pakṣa)

• kr̥ṣṇa – black, dark, dark-blue
  adjective
  Root: kr̥ṣ (class 1)
• pakṣa – fortnight, wing, side, party
  noun (masculine)

Note: Describes the timing for niśām.

निशाम् (niśām) - night

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of niśā

niśā - night

Note: The object of comparison.

इव (iva) - like (like, as if)

(indeclinable)