वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-64, verse-12

कथं सा मम सुश्रोणि भीरु भीरुः सती तदा ।
भयावहानां घोराणां मध्ये तिष्ठति रक्षसाम् ॥१२॥

12. kathaṃ sā mama suśroṇi bhīru bhīruḥ satī tadā ,
bhayāvahānāṃ ghorāṇāṃ madhye tiṣṭhati rakṣasām.

12. katham sā mama suśroṇi bhīru bhīruḥ satī tadā
bhayāvahānām ghorāṇām madhye tiṣṭhati rakṣasām

12. mama suśroṇi sā bhīru bhīruḥ satī tadā bhayāvahānām
ghorāṇām rakṣasām madhye katham tiṣṭhati

12. How is it that she, my beautiful-hipped one, being so timid and fearful, remains amidst those terrifying and dreadful `rakṣasas`?

Words meanings summery:

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, why, in what way)

• सा (sā) - she (Sita) (she, that (feminine nominative singular))

• मम (mama) - my (my, of me)

• सुश्रोणि (suśroṇi) - O beautiful-hipped one (referring to Sita) (O beautiful-hipped one (vocative singular feminine))

• भीरु (bhīru) - timid (adjective describing Sita) (timid, fearful (feminine nominative singular or adverbial use))

• भीरुः (bhīruḥ) - fearful (adjective describing Sita) (timid, fearful (feminine nominative singular))

• सती (satī) - being (referring to Sita) (being, existing; chaste woman (feminine nominative singular present participle of 'as'))

• तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

• भयावहानाम् (bhayāvahānām) - of fearsome ones (of fearsome ones, of dreadful ones (genitive plural))

• घोराणाम् (ghorāṇām) - of dreadful ones (of terrible ones, of dreadful ones (genitive plural))

• मध्ये (madhye) - amidst (in the middle, among, amidst)

• तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains (stands, remains, stays, exists (3rd singular present active))

• रक्षसाम् (rakṣasām) - of `rakṣasas` (of demons, of ogres (genitive plural))

Words meanings and morphology

कथम् (katham) - how (how, why, in what way)

(indeclinable)

सा (sā) - she (Sita) (she, that (feminine nominative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, he, it

मम (mama) - my (my, of me)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of aham

aham - I, myself

सुश्रोणि (suśroṇi) - O beautiful-hipped one (referring to Sita) (O beautiful-hipped one (vocative singular feminine))

(adjective)

Vocative, feminine, singular of suśroṇī

suśroṇī - beautiful-hipped

Compound type : bahuvrihi (su+śroṇī)

• su – good, beautiful, well
  indeclinable
• śroṇī – hip, buttock
  noun (feminine)

भीरु (bhīru) - timid (adjective describing Sita) (timid, fearful (feminine nominative singular or adverbial use))

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhīru

bhīru - timid, fearful

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Used in apposition to 'sā' for emphasis.

भीरुः (bhīruḥ) - fearful (adjective describing Sita) (timid, fearful (feminine nominative singular))

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhīru

bhīru - timid, fearful

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Used in apposition to 'sā'.

सती (satī) - being (referring to Sita) (being, existing; chaste woman (feminine nominative singular present participle of 'as'))

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sat

sat - being, existing, good

Present Active Participle

Feminine nominative singular of present participle of 'as' (to be)

Root: as (class 2)

तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)

Formed from 'tad' (that) + '-dā' (suffix for time)

भयावहानाम् (bhayāvahānām) - of fearsome ones (of fearsome ones, of dreadful ones (genitive plural))

(adjective)

Genitive, plural of bhayāvaha

bhayāvaha - causing fear, fearsome, dreadful

'bhaya' (fear) + 'āvaha' (bringing)

Compound type : tatpurusha (bhaya+āvaha)

• bhaya – fear, dread, terror
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bhī (class 3)
• āvaha – bringing, causing
  adjective (masculine)
  From 'ā-vah' (to bring)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'rakṣasām'.

घोराणाम् (ghorāṇām) - of dreadful ones (of terrible ones, of dreadful ones (genitive plural))

(adjective)

Genitive, plural of ghora

ghora - terrible, dreadful, formidable

Note: Modifies 'rakṣasām'.

मध्ये (madhye) - amidst (in the middle, among, amidst)

(indeclinable)

Locative singular of 'madhya' used as an indeclinable preposition

Note: Acts as a postposition with genitive.

तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains (stands, remains, stays, exists (3rd singular present active))

(verb)

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

Present Active

3rd singular present active of root 'sthā' (class 1, P)

Root: sthā (class 1)

रक्षसाम् (rakṣasām) - of `rakṣasas` (of demons, of ogres (genitive plural))

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of rakṣas

rakṣas - demon, ogre, `rakṣas`

Root: rakṣ (class 1)