वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-24, verse-43

श्रेयो मे जीवितान्मर्तुं विहीना या महात्मना ।
रामादक्लिष्टचारित्राच्छूराच्छत्रुनिबर्हणात् ॥४३॥

43. śreyo me jīvitānmartuṃ vihīnā yā mahātmanā ,
rāmādakliṣṭacāritrācchūrācchatrunibarhaṇāt.

43. śreyaḥ me jīvitāt martum vihīnā yā mahātmanā
| rāmāt akliṣṭacāritrāt śūrāt śatrunibarhaṇāt

43. yā mahātmanā akliṣṭacāritrāt śūrāt śatrunibarhaṇāt rāmāt vihīnā,
me jīvitāt martum śreyaḥ

43. It is better for me to die than to live, I who am bereft of the magnanimous (mahātman) Rama, whose character is untainted, who is heroic, and the destroyer of enemies.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, more excellent, welfare

• मे (me) - to me, my

• जीवितात् (jīvitāt) - than life

• मर्तुम् (martum) - to die

• विहीना (vihīnā) - bereft, deprived

• या (yā) - I who (who, which)

• महात्मना (mahātmanā) - by the magnanimous (mahātman) Rama (by the great-souled one, by the magnanimous one)

• रामात् (rāmāt) - from Rama

• अक्लिष्टचारित्रात् (akliṣṭacāritrāt) - from Rama, whose character is untainted (from the one whose character is untainted)

• शूरात् (śūrāt) - from heroic Rama (from the brave one)

• शत्रुनिबर्हणात् (śatrunibarhaṇāt) - from Rama, the destroyer of enemies (from the destroyer of enemies)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, more excellent, welfare

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, more excellent, welfare, bliss

Comparative form of praśasya

मे (me) - to me, my

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form

जीवितात् (jīvitāt) - than life

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of jīvita

jīvita - life, living

Past Passive Participle (used as noun)

From root jīv 'to live'

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Used in comparison 'better than life'.

मर्तुम् (martum) - to die

(verb)

active, infinitive (tumun) of mṛ

Infinitive

Infinitive from root mṛ

Root: mṛ (class 6)

विहीना (vihīnā) - bereft, deprived

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vihīna

vihīna - bereft, deprived, abandoned

Past Passive Participle

From root hā with prefix vi

Prefix: vi

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with Sītā (implied).

या (yā) - I who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Relative pronoun referring to Sītā (implied).

महात्मना (mahātmanā) - by the magnanimous (mahātman) Rama (by the great-souled one, by the magnanimous one)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, magnanimous, noble

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (mahā+ātman)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence (ātman)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: an (class 2)

Note: Refers to Rāma.

रामात् (rāmāt) - from Rama

(proper noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of rāma

rāma - Rama (proper name)

Note: Used with 'vihīnā' for 'bereft of'.

अक्लिष्टचारित्रात् (akliṣṭacāritrāt) - from Rama, whose character is untainted (from the one whose character is untainted)

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of akliṣṭacāritra

akliṣṭacāritra - one whose conduct is pure, untainted character

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (akliṣṭa+cāritra)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• kliṣṭa – troubled, stained, afflicted
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root kliś 'to suffer, trouble'
  Root: kliś (class 9)
• cāritra – conduct, character, behavior
  noun (neuter)
  From car 'to move, behave'
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Rāma.

शूरात् (śūrāt) - from heroic Rama (from the brave one)

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of śūra

śūra - brave, heroic, warrior

Note: Qualifies Rāma.

शत्रुनिबर्हणात् (śatrunibarhaṇāt) - from Rama, the destroyer of enemies (from the destroyer of enemies)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of śatrunibarhaṇa

śatrunibarhaṇa - destroyer of enemies, annihilator of foes

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (śatru+nibarhaṇa)

• śatru – enemy, foe
  noun (masculine)
• nibarhaṇa – destroying, crushing, annihilating; destroyer
  noun (neuter)
  Action noun
  From root bṛh 'to tear, crush' with prefix ni
  Prefix: ni
  Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Rāma.

Previous Verse Next Verse