वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-7, chapter-11, verse-20

त्रिकूटस्थः स तु तदा दशग्रीवो निशाचरः ।
प्रेषयामास दौत्येन प्रहस्तं वाक्यकोविदम् ॥२०॥

20. trikūṭasthaḥ sa tu tadā daśagrīvo niśācaraḥ ,
preṣayāmāsa dautyena prahastaṃ vākyakovidam.

20. trikūṭasthaḥ saḥ tu tadā daśagrīvaḥ niśācaraḥ
preṣayāmāsa dautyena prahastam vākyakovidam

20. saḥ niśācaraḥ daśagrīvaḥ tu tadā trikūṭasthaḥ
dautyena vākyakovidam prahastam preṣayāmāsa

20. But that night-roaming Daśagrīva, who was then situated on Trikūṭa mountain, sent Prahasta, skilled in eloquent speech, as an envoy.

Words meanings summery:

• त्रिकूटस्थः (trikūṭasthaḥ) - situated on Trikūṭa

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, on the other hand

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• दशग्रीवः (daśagrīvaḥ) - Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)

• निशाचरः (niśācaraḥ) - night-roaming demon (Rāvaṇa) (night-wanderer, rākṣasa)

• प्रेषयामास (preṣayāmāsa) - he sent

• दौत्येन (dautyena) - by means of an embassy, as an envoy

• प्रहस्तम् (prahastam) - Prahasta (name of a rākṣasa)

• वाक्यकोविदम् (vākyakovidam) - skilled in speech, eloquent

Words meanings and morphology

त्रिकूटस्थः (trikūṭasthaḥ) - situated on Trikūṭa

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of trikūṭastha

trikūṭastha - situated on Trikūṭa (mountain)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (trikūṭa+stha)

• trikūṭa – Trikūṭa (a mountain name)
  proper noun (masculine)
• stha – standing, staying, situated
  adjective (masculine)
  From root sthā- 'to stand'
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Daśagrīva.

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

तु (tu) - but, indeed, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of time.

दशग्रीवः (daśagrīvaḥ) - Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of daśagrīva

daśagrīva - ten-necked, Rāvaṇa

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (daśan+grīvā)

• daśan – ten
  numeral
• grīvā – neck
  noun (feminine)

निशाचरः (niśācaraḥ) - night-roaming demon (Rāvaṇa) (night-wanderer, rākṣasa)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niśācara

niśācara - night-wanderer, demon, rākṣasa

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (niśā+cara)

• niśā – night
  noun (feminine)
• cara – one who moves/roams
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from root car- 'to move'
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Daśagrīva.

प्रेषयामास (preṣayāmāsa) - he sent

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of preṣaya

Causative perfect

Periphrastic perfect of the causative stem preṣaya (from pra-iṣ- 'to send')

Prefix: pra

Root: iṣ (class 6)

दौत्येन (dautyena) - by means of an embassy, as an envoy

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of dautya

dautya - embassy, message, office of an envoy

Derived from dūta 'messenger'

Note: Indicates the means or capacity.

प्रहस्तम् (prahastam) - Prahasta (name of a rākṣasa)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of prahasta

prahasta - Prahasta (name of a prominent rākṣasa, Rāvaṇa's general)

Note: Object of 'preṣayāmāsa'.

वाक्यकोविदम् (vākyakovidam) - skilled in speech, eloquent

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vākyakovida

vākyakovida - skilled in speech, eloquent, master of words

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vākya+kovida)

• vākya – speech, word, sentence
  noun (neuter)
  Root: vac (class 2)
• kovida – skilled, expert, knowing
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Qualifies Prahasta.