वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-2, verse-38

अर्थानर्थान्तरे बुद्धिर्निश्चितापि न शोभते ।
घातयन्ति हि कार्याणि दूताः पण्डितमानिनः ॥३८॥

38. arthānarthāntare buddhirniścitāpi na śobhate ,
ghātayanti hi kāryāṇi dūtāḥ paṇḍitamāninaḥ.

38. artha-anartha-antare buddhiḥ niścitā api na
śobhate ghātayanti hi kāryāṇi dūtāḥ paṇḍita-māninaḥ

38. artha-anartha-antare niścitā api buddhiḥ na
śobhate hi paṇḍita-māninaḥ dūtāḥ kāryāṇi ghātayanti

38. Even a well-considered judgment regarding advantage and disadvantage does not appear effective. Indeed, messengers who merely fancy themselves wise cause undertakings to be ruined.

Words meanings summery:

• अर्थ-अनर्थ-अन्तरे (artha-anartha-antare) - in matters of advantage and disadvantage (in matters of gain and loss, between profit and damage)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - judgment, decision (intellect, understanding, judgment, decision)

• निश्चिता (niścitā) - well-considered, firm (determined, resolved, certain, decided)

• अपि (api) - even though (even, also, though)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• शोभते (śobhate) - appears effective (shines, appears beautiful, is effective, fares well)

• घातयन्ति (ghātayanti) - cause to be ruined (they cause to be killed, they destroy, they ruin)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, because)

• कार्याणि (kāryāṇi) - undertakings (tasks, duties, undertakings, matters to be done)

• दूताः (dūtāḥ) - messengers (messengers, envoys)

• पण्डित-मानिनः (paṇḍita-māninaḥ) - those who merely fancy themselves wise (those who consider themselves wise, conceited scholars)

Words meanings and morphology

अर्थ-अनर्थ-अन्तरे (artha-anartha-antare) - in matters of advantage and disadvantage (in matters of gain and loss, between profit and damage)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of artha-anartha-antara

artha-anartha-antara - interval between good and bad fortune, state of gain and loss

Compound.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (artha+anartha+antara)

• artha – purpose, gain, advantage, wealth
  noun (masculine)
• anartha – disadvantage, misfortune, loss, evil
  noun (masculine)
  Negative prefix 'an' + 'artha'.
• antara – interval, difference, distinction, interior
  noun (neuter)

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - judgment, decision (intellect, understanding, judgment, decision)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intelligence, perception, judgment, mind

From root `budh`.

Root: budh (class 1)

निश्चिता (niścitā) - well-considered, firm (determined, resolved, certain, decided)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of niścita

niścita - ascertained, decided, firm, determined

Past Passive Participle

From root `ci` (to perceive) with prefix `niś`.

Prefix: niś

Root: ci (class 5)

अपि (api) - even though (even, also, though)

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

शोभते (śobhate) - appears effective (shines, appears beautiful, is effective, fares well)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of śobh

Present Tense, Ātmanepada

From root `śubh`.

Root: śubh (class 1)

घातयन्ति (ghātayanti) - cause to be ruined (they cause to be killed, they destroy, they ruin)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of ghātay

Present Tense, Parasmaipada, Causal

Causal form of root `han` (to strike, kill).

Root: han (class 2)

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, because)

(indeclinable)

Particle.

कार्याणि (kāryāṇi) - undertakings (tasks, duties, undertakings, matters to be done)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of kārya

kārya - to be done, duty, task, action, business

Gerundive

From root `kṛ`.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

दूताः (dūtāḥ) - messengers (messengers, envoys)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dūta

dūta - messenger, envoy, ambassador

From root `dū` (to trouble, burn, suffer).

Root: dū (class 9)

Note: Subject of `ghātayanti`.

पण्डित-मानिनः (paṇḍita-māninaḥ) - those who merely fancy themselves wise (those who consider themselves wise, conceited scholars)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of paṇḍita-mānin

paṇḍita-mānin - considering oneself wise, conceited as a scholar

Compound noun/adjective.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (paṇḍita+mānin)

• paṇḍita – wise, learned man, scholar
  noun (masculine)
• mānin – thinking, fancying, proud, conceited
  adjective (masculine)
  From root `man` (to think) with suffix `in`.
  Root: man (class 4)