वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-7, chapter-1, verse-27

शक्यं यदि मया श्रोतुं न खल्वाज्ञापयामि वः ।
यदि गुह्यं न चेद्वक्तुं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथ्यताम् ।
कथं शक्रो जितस्तेन कथं लब्धवरश्च सः ॥२७॥

27. śakyaṃ yadi mayā śrotuṃ na khalvājñāpayāmi vaḥ ,
yadi guhyaṃ na cedvaktuṃ śrotumicchāmi kathyatām ,
kathaṃ śakro jitastena kathaṃ labdhavaraśca saḥ.

27. śakyam yadi mayā śrotum na khalu ājñāpayāmi
vaḥ | yadi guhyam na cet vaktum
śrotum icchāmi kathyatām | katham śakraḥ
jitaḥ tena katham labdhavaraḥ ca saḥ

27. yadi mayā śrotum śakyam vaḥ na khalu
ājñāpayāmi yadi vaktum guhyam na cet
śrotum icchāmi kathyatām tena śakraḥ
katham jitaḥ ca saḥ katham labdhavaraḥ

27. If it is possible for me to hear it, I certainly do not command you. But if it is not a secret to be told, I wish to hear it, so please tell me: How was Indra conquered by him, and how did he obtain boons?

Words meanings summery:

• शक्यम् (śakyam) - possible, able, capable

• यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

• मया (mayā) - by me

• श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear, for hearing

• न (na) - not, no, neither

• खलु (khalu) - indeed, certainly, verily

• आज्ञापयामि (ājñāpayāmi) - I command, I order

• वः (vaḥ) - you (plural) as the object of 'command' (to you (plural), of you (plural), you (plural, accusative))

• यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

• गुह्यम् (guhyam) - secret, to be hidden, mysterious

• न (na) - not, no, neither

• चेत् (cet) - used in conjunction with 'na' to mean 'if not' (if, supposing that)

• वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to tell, to explain

• श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear, for hearing

• इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I wish, I desire

• कथ्यताम् (kathyatām) - let it be told, it should be told, please tell

• कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

• शक्रः (śakraḥ) - Indra, the king of the gods (Indra)

• जितः (jitaḥ) - conquered, defeated, subdued

• तेन (tena) - by him (referring to Rāvaṇa, implicitly) (by him, by that)

• कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

• लब्धवरः (labdhavaraḥ) - one who has obtained a boon

• च (ca) - and, also

• सः (saḥ) - he (referring to the same individual as 'tena') (he, that)

Words meanings and morphology

शक्यम् (śakyam) - possible, able, capable

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śakya

śakya - possible, capable, practicable, to be able, to be possible

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

From root śak (to be able), with suffix -ya.

Root: śak (class 5)

Note: Also possible as accusative singular.

यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

(indeclinable)

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we (first person pronoun)

श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear, for hearing

(indeclinable)

infinitive

Infinitive form of √śru (to hear)

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: The infinitive form acts as an indeclinable.

न (na) - not, no, neither

(indeclinable)

खलु (khalu) - indeed, certainly, verily

(indeclinable)

आज्ञापयामि (ājñāpayāmi) - I command, I order

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of ājñāpay

causative

Causative of √jñā with prefix ā-

Prefix: ā

Root: jñā (class 9)

वः (vaḥ) - you (plural) as the object of 'command' (to you (plural), of you (plural), you (plural, accusative))

(pronoun)

plural of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (second person pronoun)

Note: Context implies accusative as direct object of 'command'.

यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

(indeclinable)

गुह्यम् (guhyam) - secret, to be hidden, mysterious

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of guhya

guhya - secret, to be hidden, mysterious, concealed

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

From root √guh (to hide, conceal) with suffix -ya.

Root: guh (class 1)

Note: Also possible as accusative singular.

न (na) - not, no, neither

(indeclinable)

चेत् (cet) - used in conjunction with 'na' to mean 'if not' (if, supposing that)

(indeclinable)

वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to tell, to explain

(indeclinable)

infinitive

Infinitive form of √vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: The infinitive form acts as an indeclinable.

श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear, for hearing

(indeclinable)

infinitive

Infinitive form of √śru (to hear)

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: The infinitive form acts as an indeclinable.

इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I wish, I desire

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of iṣ

Root: iṣ (class 6)

कथ्यताम् (kathyatām) - let it be told, it should be told, please tell

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, imperative (loṭ) of kath

passive imperative

Passive imperative 3rd person singular of √kath (to tell)

Root: kath (class 10)

कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

शक्रः (śakraḥ) - Indra, the king of the gods (Indra)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śakra

śakra - Indra, powerful, mighty

जितः (jitaḥ) - conquered, defeated, subdued

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jita

jita - conquered, vanquished, won, subdued

Past Passive Participle

From root √ji (to conquer, win)

Root: ji (class 1)

Note: Functions adjectivally.

तेन (tena) - by him (referring to Rāvaṇa, implicitly) (by him, by that)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it (demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Refers to the agent of 'jitaḥ'.

कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

लब्धवरः (labdhavaraḥ) - one who has obtained a boon

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of labdhavara

labdhavara - one who has obtained a boon, recipient of a boon

Compound type : bahuvrihi (labdha+vara)

• labdha – obtained, gained, acquired
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √labh (to obtain, get)
  Root: labh (class 1)
• vara – boon, blessing, wish, choice, best
  noun (masculine)

Note: Bahuvrihi compound.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

सः (saḥ) - he (referring to the same individual as 'tena') (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it (demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Nominative subject.

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