वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-7, chapter-46, verse-5

श्रेयो हि मरणं मे ऽद्य मृत्योर्वा यत् परं भवेत् ।
न चास्मिन्नीदृशे कार्ये नियोज्यो लोकनिन्दिते ॥५॥

5. śreyo hi maraṇaṃ me'dya mṛtyorvā yat paraṃ bhavet ,
na cāsminnīdṛśe kārye niyojyo lokanindite.

5. śreyaḥ hi maraṇam me adya mṛtyoḥ vā yat param
bhavet na ca asmin īdṛśe kārye niyojyaḥ lokanindite

5. hi me adya maraṇam vā yat mṛtyoḥ param bhavet (tat) śreyaḥ
(asti) ca na asmin īdṛśe lokanindite kārye niyojyaḥ (asmi)

5. Indeed, it would be better for me to die today, or to face an even worse fate than death. I must not be employed in such a task, which is publicly condemned.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - preferable, better, good fortune, auspicious

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for, because

• मरणम् (maraṇam) - death, dying

• मे (me) - to me, my, for me

• अद्य (adya) - today, now

• मृत्योः (mṛtyoḥ) - from death, of death, than death

• वा (vā) - or, either

• यत् (yat) - which, what, that

• परम् (param) - superior, higher, ultimate, other

• भवेत् (bhavet) - may be, should be, would be

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also

• अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this

• ईदृशे (īdṛśe) - in such, of this kind

• कार्ये (kārye) - in a task, in a duty, in an action

• नियोज्यः (niyojyaḥ) - to be employed, to be appointed, fit to be ordered

• लोकनिन्दिते (lokanindite) - in this task condemned by the people (in that which is condemned by people)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - preferable, better, good fortune, auspicious

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - excellence, good fortune, welfare, virtue, better, preferable

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for, because

(indeclinable)

मरणम् (maraṇam) - death, dying

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of maraṇa

maraṇa - death, dying

Derived from root mṛ 'to die' with suffix -ana.

Root: mṛ (class 6)

मे (me) - to me, my, for me

(pronoun)

singular of aham

aham - I

Note: Enclitic form of the first person pronoun.

अद्य (adya) - today, now

(indeclinable)

मृत्योः (mṛtyoḥ) - from death, of death, than death

(noun)

masculine, singular of mṛtyu

mṛtyu - death, demise, Yama (god of death)

Derived from root mṛ 'to die'.

Root: mṛ (class 6)

Note: Used here in the ablative case to express comparison (than death).

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

यत् (yat) - which, what, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Relative pronoun.

परम् (param) - superior, higher, ultimate, other

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of para

para - other, another, superior, supreme, hostile

Note: Agrees with 'yat' (what).

भवेत् (bhavet) - may be, should be, would be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this

(pronoun)

Locative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, here

Note: Demonstrative pronoun.

ईदृशे (īdṛśe) - in such, of this kind

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of īdṛśa

īdṛśa - such, of this kind

Note: Agrees with 'kārye'.

कार्ये (kārye) - in a task, in a duty, in an action

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - to be done, duty, action, task

Gerundive

Derived from root kṛ 'to do' with suffix -ya (gerundive).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

नियोज्यः (niyojyaḥ) - to be employed, to be appointed, fit to be ordered

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niyojya

niyojya - to be employed, to be appointed, fit to be ordered

Gerundive

Derived from root yuj 'to join' with prefix ni- and suffix -ya (gerundive).

Prefix: ni

Root: yuj (class 7)

Note: Implies 'I (am) to be employed' - the subject (aham) is understood.

लोकनिन्दिते (lokanindite) - in this task condemned by the people (in that which is condemned by people)

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of lokanindita

lokanindita - condemned by people, publicly censured

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (loka+nindita)

• loka – people, world, community
  noun (masculine)
• nindita – blamed, condemned, censured
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root nind 'to blame'.
  Root: nind (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'kārye'.

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