वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-7, chapter-2, verse-16

तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथा भूतां तृणबिन्दुरथाब्रवीत् ।
किं त्वमेतत्त्वसदृशं धारयस्यात्मनो वपुः ॥१६॥

16. tāṃ tu dṛṣṭvā tathā bhūtāṃ tṛṇabindurathābravīt ,
kiṃ tvametattvasadṛśaṃ dhārayasyātmano vapuḥ.

16. tām tu dṛṣṭvā tathā bhūtām tṛṇabinduḥ atha abravīt
kim tvam etat tva-sadṛśam dhārayasi ātmanaḥ vapuḥ

16. Having seen her in that transformed state, Tṛṇabindu then said, 'Why do you bear this body (vapuḥ) of yours, which is so unlike your true self (ātman)?'

Words meanings summery:

• ताम् (tām) - that girl (her, that)

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

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - having seen (the girl) (having seen, having perceived)

• तथा (tathā) - in that transformed state (thus, so, in that manner)

• भूताम् (bhūtām) - being in that transformed state (having become, having been, being)

• तृणबिन्दुः (tṛṇabinduḥ) - the sage Tṛṇabindu (Tṛṇabindu (a sage's name))

• अथ (atha) - then (then, now, thereupon)

• अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - (Tṛṇabindu) spoke (he said, he spoke)

• किम् (kim) - why? (what? why?)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (the girl) (you)

• एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the transformed body) (this)

• त्व-सदृशम् (tva-sadṛśam) - unlike you (with the implicit negation from 'kim') (similar to you, like you)

• धारयसि (dhārayasi) - you bear (this body) (you bear, you hold, you wear)

• आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of your own self (ātman) (of the self, of oneself)

• वपुः (vapuḥ) - this transformed body (body, form, figure)

Words meanings and morphology

ताम् (tām) - that girl (her, that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, it

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

(indeclinable)

दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - having seen (the girl) (having seen, having perceived)

(indeclinable)

absolutive

Derived from root dṛś with suffix -tvā

Root: dṛś (class 1)

तथा (tathā) - in that transformed state (thus, so, in that manner)

(indeclinable)

भूताम् (bhūtām) - being in that transformed state (having become, having been, being)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of bhūta

bhūta - become, been, past, being, creature

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root bhū (to be)

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'tām'.

तृणबिन्दुः (tṛṇabinduḥ) - the sage Tṛṇabindu (Tṛṇabindu (a sage's name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tṛṇabindu

tṛṇabindu - Name of a sage

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tṛṇa+bindu)

• tṛṇa – grass, blade of grass
  noun (neuter)
• bindu – drop, point, seed
  noun (masculine)

अथ (atha) - then (then, now, thereupon)

(indeclinable)

अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - (Tṛṇabindu) spoke (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of brū

Imperfect

3rd person singular, active voice, Pāṇinian dhātupāṭha class 2

Root: brū (class 2)

किम् (kim) - why? (what? why?)

(indeclinable)

त्वम् (tvam) - you (the girl) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the transformed body) (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this

Note: Agrees with 'vapuḥ'.

त्व-सदृशम् (tva-sadṛśam) - unlike you (with the implicit negation from 'kim') (similar to you, like you)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tva-sadṛśa

tva-sadṛśa - similar to you, like yourself

Compound formed from 'tva' (your, you) and 'sadṛśa' (similar).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tva+sadṛśa)

• tva – you, your (pronominal stem)
  pronoun
• sadṛśa – similar, like, resembling
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from 'sa' (with) + 'dṛś' (to see/look)
  Root: dṛś

Note: Agrees with 'vapuḥ'.

धारयसि (dhārayasi) - you bear (this body) (you bear, you hold, you wear)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of dhṛ

Present

2nd person singular, active voice, causal formation (dhārayati), Pāṇinian dhātupāṭha class 10

Root: dhṛ (class 10)

आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of your own self (ātman) (of the self, of oneself)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Possessive case, referring to the girl's own self.

वपुः (vapuḥ) - this transformed body (body, form, figure)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vapus

vapus - body, form, figure, shape

Root: vap (class 1)

Note: Object of 'dhārayasi'.