वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-4, verse-23

अव्यक्तलेखामिव चन्द्रलेखां पांसुप्रदिग्धामिव हेमलेखाम् ।
क्षतप्ररूढामिव बाणलेखां वायुप्रभिन्नामिव मेघलेखाम् ॥२३॥

23. avyaktalekhāmiva candralekhāṃ pāṃsupradigdhāmiva hemalekhām ,
kṣataprarūḍhāmiva bāṇalekhāṃ vāyuprabhinnāmiva meghalekhām.

23. avyaktalekhām iva candralekhām
pāṃsupradigdhām iva hemalekhām
kṣataprarūḍhām iva bāṇalekhām
vāyuprabhinnām iva meghalekhām

23. avyaktalekhām iva candralekhām
pāṃsupradigdhām iva hemalekhām
kṣataprarūḍhām iva bāṇalekhām
vāyuprabhinnām iva meghalekhām

23. (She appeared) like an indistinct line or a faded crescent moon; like a streak of gold smeared with dust; like a line of arrows (whose marks are) overgrown with scars; or like a line of clouds scattered by the wind.

Words meanings summery:

• अव्यक्तलेखाम् (avyaktalekhām) - an indistinct or faded line (an indistinct line, an unmanifested streak)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• चन्द्रलेखाम् (candralekhām) - a faded crescent moon (a crescent moon, a line of moonbeams)

• पांसुप्रदिग्धाम् (pāṁsupradigdhām) - smeared with dust

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• हेमलेखाम् (hemalekhām) - a streak of gold (dimmed by dust) (a golden streak, a line of gold)

• क्षतप्ररूढाम् (kṣataprarūḍhām) - with scars grown over (like a healed arrow line) (with wounds grown over, healed from injuries)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• बाणलेखाम् (bāṇalekhām) - a line of arrows (perhaps implying past injury or a mark) (a line of arrows, an arrow-mark)

• वायुप्रभिन्नाम् (vāyuprabhinnām) - scattered by the wind (scattered/broken by wind)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• मेघलेखाम् (meghalekhām) - a line of clouds (a line of clouds, a cloud streak)

Words meanings and morphology

अव्यक्तलेखाम् (avyaktalekhām) - an indistinct or faded line (an indistinct line, an unmanifested streak)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of avyaktalekhā

avyaktalekhā - indistinct line, unmanifested streak

compound: avyakta (indistinct, unmanifested) + lekhā (line, streak)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (avyakta+lekhā)

• avyakta – unmanifest, indistinct
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  from a (not) + vi (prefix) + añj (to manifest)
  Prefixes: a+vi
  Root: añj (class 7)
• lekhā – line, streak, ray
  noun (feminine)
  from root likh (to scratch, write)
  Root: likh (class 6)

Note: Object of comparison

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

चन्द्रलेखाम् (candralekhām) - a faded crescent moon (a crescent moon, a line of moonbeams)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of candralekhā

candralekhā - crescent moon, digit of the moon, streak of moonlight

compound: candra (moon) + lekhā (line, streak)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (candra+lekhā)

• candra – moon
  noun (masculine)
  from root cand (to shine)
  Root: cand (class 1)
• lekhā – line, streak, ray
  noun (feminine)
  from root likh (to scratch, write)
  Root: likh (class 6)

Note: Object of comparison

पांसुप्रदिग्धाम् (pāṁsupradigdhām) - smeared with dust

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of pāṃsupradigdhā

pāṁsupradigdhā - smeared with dust

Past Passive Participle (compound)

compound: pāṃsu (dust) + pradigdhā (smeared, anointed, from root dih with prefix pra)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (pāṃsu+pradigdhā)

• pāṃsu – dust, sand
  noun (masculine)
• pradigdhā – smeared, anointed, covered
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  from root dih (to smear) with prefix pra
  Prefix: pra
  Root: dih (class 4)

Note: qualifies implied Sītā as the object of comparison

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

हेमलेखाम् (hemalekhām) - a streak of gold (dimmed by dust) (a golden streak, a line of gold)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of hemalekhā

hemalekhā - line of gold, golden streak

compound: hema (gold) + lekhā (line, streak)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (hema+lekhā)

• hema – gold, golden
  noun (neuter)
• lekhā – line, streak, ray
  noun (feminine)
  from root likh (to scratch, write)
  Root: likh (class 6)

Note: Object of comparison

क्षतप्ररूढाम् (kṣataprarūḍhām) - with scars grown over (like a healed arrow line) (with wounds grown over, healed from injuries)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of kṣataprarūḍhā

kṣataprarūḍhā - grown over by wounds, healed from injuries

Past Passive Participle (compound)

compound: kṣata (wound, injury) + prarūḍhā (grown forth, healed over, from root ruh with prefix pra)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (kṣata+prarūḍhā)

• kṣata – wound, injury, damaged
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from root kṣan (to hurt)
  Root: kṣan (class 8)
• prarūḍhā – grown forth, sprouted, healed over
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  from root ruh (to grow) with prefix pra
  Prefix: pra
  Root: ruh (class 1)

Note: qualifies implied Sītā as the object of comparison

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

बाणलेखाम् (bāṇalekhām) - a line of arrows (perhaps implying past injury or a mark) (a line of arrows, an arrow-mark)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of bāṇalekhā

bāṇalekhā - line of arrows, arrow-mark

compound: bāṇa (arrow) + lekhā (line, streak)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (bāṇa+lekhā)

• bāṇa – arrow
  noun (masculine)
• lekhā – line, streak, ray
  noun (feminine)
  from root likh (to scratch, write)
  Root: likh (class 6)

Note: Object of comparison

वायुप्रभिन्नाम् (vāyuprabhinnām) - scattered by the wind (scattered/broken by wind)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of vāyuprabhinnā

vāyuprabhinnā - scattered by wind, broken by wind

Past Passive Participle (compound)

compound: vāyu (wind) + prabhinnā (broken, split, scattered, from root bhid with prefix pra)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (vāyu+prabhinnā)

• vāyu – wind, air
  noun (masculine)
  from root vā (to blow)
  Root: vā (class 2)
• prabhinnā – broken, split, scattered
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  from root bhid (to split) with prefix pra
  Prefix: pra
  Root: bhid (class 7)

Note: qualifies implied Sītā as the object of comparison

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

मेघलेखाम् (meghalekhām) - a line of clouds (a line of clouds, a cloud streak)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of meghalekhā

meghalekhā - line of clouds, cloud streak

compound: megha (cloud) + lekhā (line, streak)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (megha+lekhā)

• megha – cloud
  noun (masculine)
  from root mih (to sprinkle)
  Root: mih (class 1)
• lekhā – line, streak, ray
  noun (feminine)
  from root likh (to scratch, write)
  Root: likh (class 6)

Note: Object of comparison