वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-7, chapter-69, verse-14

पितामहस्तु मामाह तवाहारः सुदेवज ।
स्वादूनि स्वानि मांसानि तानि भक्षय नित्यशः ॥१४॥

14. pitāmahastu māmāha tavāhāraḥ sudevaja ,
svādūni svāni māṃsāni tāni bhakṣaya nityaśaḥ.

14. pitāmahaḥ tu mām āha tava āhāraḥ sudevaja
svādūni svāni māṃsāni tāni bhakṣaya nityaśaḥ

14. pitāmahaḥ tu mām āha sudevaja tava āhāraḥ
svāni svādūni māṃsāni tāni nityaśaḥ bhakṣaya

14. My grandfather said to me, 'O son of Sudeva, your food is your own delicious flesh; always consume it.'

Words meanings summery:

• पितामहः (pitāmahaḥ) - The narrator's paternal grandfather. (grandfather, paternal grandfather)

• तु (tu) - Indeed, emphasizing the statement. (but, indeed, yet, on the other hand)

• माम् (mām) - The narrator. (me, to me)

• आह (āha) - The grandfather said. (he/she/it said)

• तव (tava) - Referring to the listener (son of Sudeva). (your, of you)

• आहारः (āhāraḥ) - The means of sustenance. (food, sustenance, diet, collecting)

• सुदेवज (sudevaja) - Address to the listener. (O son of Sudeva, born of Sudeva, O excellent divine being)

• स्वादूनि (svādūni) - Describing the 'flesh' as delicious. (delicious, sweet, tasty)

• स्वानि (svāni) - Emphasizing that the flesh belongs to the person being addressed. (one's own, belonging to oneself)

• मांसानि (māṁsāni) - Metaphorically refers to one's own vitality or inner resources. (flesh, meat)

• तानि (tāni) - Refers to 'svādūni svāni māṃsāni'. (those, them)

• भक्षय (bhakṣaya) - Command to consume one's own flesh (metaphorically). (eat, consume, devour)

• नित्यशः (nityaśaḥ) - Continuously. (constantly, always, daily)

Words meanings and morphology

पितामहः (pitāmahaḥ) - The narrator's paternal grandfather. (grandfather, paternal grandfather)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather, great ancestor, Brahma

तु (tu) - Indeed, emphasizing the statement. (but, indeed, yet, on the other hand)

(indeclinable)

माम् (mām) - The narrator. (me, to me)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

आह (āha) - The grandfather said. (he/she/it said)

(verb)

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

perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Perfect form of the root ah.

Root: ah (class 2)

Note: Archaic perfect form.

तव (tava) - Referring to the listener (son of Sudeva). (your, of you)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

आहारः (āhāraḥ) - The means of sustenance. (food, sustenance, diet, collecting)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of āhāra

āhāra - food, diet, sustenance, collecting, taking

Derived from root hṛ (to seize, take) with prefix ā (towards, to).

Prefix: ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

सुदेवज (sudevaja) - Address to the listener. (O son of Sudeva, born of Sudeva, O excellent divine being)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of sudevaja

sudevaja - born of Sudeva, O son of Sudeva, O excellent divine being

Compound 'sudeva' (good god, name of a specific deity or person) + 'ja' (born from). Vocative singular.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sudeva+ja)

• sudeva – good god, a name
  proper noun (masculine)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective (masculine)
  From root jan (to be born).
  Root: jan (class 4)

स्वादूनि (svādūni) - Describing the 'flesh' as delicious. (delicious, sweet, tasty)

(adjective)

neuter, plural of svādu

svādu - sweet, delicious, pleasant

Note: Agrees with māṃsāni.

स्वानि (svāni) - Emphasizing that the flesh belongs to the person being addressed. (one's own, belonging to oneself)

(adjective)

neuter, plural of sva

sva - one's own, self, peculiar to oneself

Note: Agrees with māṃsāni.

मांसानि (māṁsāni) - Metaphorically refers to one's own vitality or inner resources. (flesh, meat)

(noun)

neuter, plural of māṃsa

māṁsa - flesh, meat

Note: Object of 'bhakṣaya'.

तानि (tāni) - Refers to 'svādūni svāni māṃsāni'. (those, them)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of tad

tad - that, those

भक्षय (bhakṣaya) - Command to consume one's own flesh (metaphorically). (eat, consume, devour)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of bhakṣ

causative/denominal, imperative 2nd person singular

Imperative (parasmaipada) 2nd person singular of the root bhakṣ.

Root: bhakṣ (class 10)

नित्यशः (nityaśaḥ) - Continuously. (constantly, always, daily)

(indeclinable)

Formed from nitya (constant) with suffix -śas.