वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-7, chapter-37, verse-8

हेतुमात्रमहं तत्र भवतां तेजसां हतः ।
रावणः सगणो युद्धे सपुत्रः सहबान्धवः ॥८॥

8. hetumātramahaṃ tatra bhavatāṃ tejasāṃ hataḥ ,
rāvaṇaḥ sagaṇo yuddhe saputraḥ sahabāndhavaḥ.

8. hetumātraṃ aham tatra bhavatām tejasām hataḥ
rāvaṇaḥ sagaṇaḥ yuddhe saputraḥ sahabāndhavaḥ

8. I was merely the instrument in that matter; it was by your collective brilliance that Rāvaṇa, with his followers, sons, and relatives, was slain in battle.

Words meanings summery:

• हेतुमात्रं (hetumātraṁ) - merely an instrument, only a cause

• अहम् (aham) - I

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that matter, in that case

• भवताम् (bhavatām) - of you, your (plural, honorific)

• तेजसाम् (tejasām) - of your collective powers (of the brilliances, of the powers)

• हतः (hataḥ) - killed, slain, struck down

• रावणः (rāvaṇaḥ) - Rāvaṇa (king of Lanka)

• सगणः (sagaṇaḥ) - with his retinue, with his followers

• युद्धे (yuddhe) - in battle, in war

• सपुत्रः (saputraḥ) - with his sons, accompanied by sons

• सहबान्धवः (sahabāndhavaḥ) - with his relatives, accompanied by kinsmen

Words meanings and morphology

हेतुमात्रं (hetumātraṁ) - merely an instrument, only a cause

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of hetumātra

hetumātra - mere cause, only an instrument

Compound: hetu (cause) + mātra (only, mere).

Compound type : tatpurusha (hetu+mātra)

• hetu – cause, reason, motive, instrument
  noun (masculine)
  From √hi (to send, to move)
  Root: hi (class 3)
• mātra – mere, only, simply, just
  adjective

Note: Agrees with an implicit 'tat' or is an adverbial usage. Refers to the speaker 'aham'.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that matter, in that case

(indeclinable)

भवताम् (bhavatām) - of you, your (plural, honorific)

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of bhavat

bhavat - your honor, your grace, you (honorific)

Present Participle

Derived from √bhū (to be, to become), used as an honorific second person pronoun.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Honorific plural genitive pronoun.

तेजसाम् (tejasām) - of your collective powers (of the brilliances, of the powers)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of tejas

tejas - brilliance, radiance, energy, power, spiritual efficacy

From √tij (to be sharp, to shine)

Root: tij (class 6)

Note: Refers to the collective powers/brilliance of the addressees.

हतः (hataḥ) - killed, slain, struck down

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hata

hata - killed, slain, destroyed, struck

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √han (to strike, to kill).

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'rāvaṇaḥ'.

रावणः (rāvaṇaḥ) - Rāvaṇa (king of Lanka)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rāvaṇa

rāvaṇa - Rāvaṇa, the demon king of Laṅkā

सगणः (sagaṇaḥ) - with his retinue, with his followers

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sagaṇa

sagaṇa - with one's retinue/followers, accompanied by a host

Compound: sa (with) + gaṇa (retinue).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+gaṇa)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating association.
• gaṇa – troop, host, retinue, group
  noun (masculine)
  From √gaṇ (to count, to include).
  Root: gaṇ (class 10)

Note: Agrees with 'rāvaṇaḥ'.

युद्धे (yuddhe) - in battle, in war

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of yuddha

yuddha - battle, war, fight

Past Passive Participle (used as noun)

From √yudh (to fight).

Root: yudh (class 4)

सपुत्रः (saputraḥ) - with his sons, accompanied by sons

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of saputra

saputra - with sons, accompanied by one's sons

Compound: sa (with) + putra (son).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+putra)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating association.
• putra – son
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'rāvaṇaḥ'.

सहबान्धवः (sahabāndhavaḥ) - with his relatives, accompanied by kinsmen

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sahabāndhava

sahabāndhava - with relatives, accompanied by kinsmen

Compound: saha (with) + bāndhava (relative).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (saha+bāndhava)

• saha – with, along with
  indeclinable
  Preposition/prefix meaning 'with'.
• bāndhava – relative, kinsman
  noun (masculine)
  From bandhu (relative).

Note: Agrees with 'rāvaṇaḥ'.