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

प्राणैरपि प्रियं कार्यं देवानां हि सदा मया ।
सो ऽहं वो निहनिष्यामि रसातलगतानपि ॥७॥

7. prāṇairapi priyaṃ kāryaṃ devānāṃ hi sadā mayā ,
so'haṃ vo nihaniṣyāmi rasātalagatānapi.

7. prāṇaiḥ api priyam kāryam devānām hi sadā mayā
saḥ aham vaḥ nihaniṣyāmi rasātalagatān api

7. mayā prāṇaiḥ api devānām priyam kāryam hi sadā
saḥ aham vaḥ rasātalagatān api nihaniṣyāmi

7. Even at the cost of my life, I must always accomplish what is dear to the gods. Therefore, I will indeed strike you down, even if you have fled to the netherworld (rasātala).

Words meanings summery:

• प्राणैः (prāṇaiḥ) - at the cost of my life (by breaths, by lives, with vitality)

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• प्रियम् (priyam) - what is dear (dear, beloved, pleasing, agreeable)

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - what is to be done, duty (to be done, duty, action, deed)

• देवानाम् (devānām) - of the gods

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

• सदा (sadā) - always, constantly, perpetually

• मया (mayā) - by me

• सः (saḥ) - that (person, referring to the speaker) (that, he)

• अहम् (aham) - I

• वः (vaḥ) - you (plural, direct object) (you (plural), to you, for you, of you)

• निहनिष्यामि (nihaniṣyāmi) - I will strike down, I will kill

• रसातलगतान् (rasātalagatān) - those who have fled to the netherworld (rasātala) (those who have gone to rasātala, having gone to the netherworld)

• अपि (api) - even (if they have gone) (also, even)

Words meanings and morphology

प्राणैः (prāṇaiḥ) - at the cost of my life (by breaths, by lives, with vitality)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of prāṇa

prāṇa - breath, life, vital air, vitality

From pra- + an (to breathe).

Prefix: pra

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Used idiomatically as 'at the cost of life'.

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

प्रियम् (priyam) - what is dear (dear, beloved, pleasing, agreeable)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of priya

priya - dear, beloved, pleasing, agreeable, one's own

Root: prī (class 9)

Note: Qualifies `kāryam`.

कार्यम् (kāryam) - what is to be done, duty (to be done, duty, action, deed)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - to be done, fit to be done, duty, business, action, work, purpose

gerundive (future passive participle)

Formed from root `kṛ` with suffix `-ya` or `-ṇya`.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Predicate nominative.

देवानाम् (devānām) - of the gods

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine being

Root: div (class 4)

Note: Possessive, 'belonging to the gods'.

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

(indeclinable)

Particle.

सदा (sadā) - always, constantly, perpetually

(indeclinable)

Adverb formed from `sa` (with) and `dā` (suffix for time).

Note: Adverb of time.

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of mad

mad - I, me (first person pronoun stem)

First person singular pronoun.

Note: Agent of the passive construction `kāryam`.

सः (saḥ) - that (person, referring to the speaker) (that, he)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to the speaker.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of mad

mad - I, me (first person pronoun stem)

First person singular pronoun.

वः (vaḥ) - you (plural, direct object) (you (plural), to you, for you, of you)

(pronoun)

Accusative, plural of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (second person pronoun stem, plural)

Second person plural pronoun, enclitic form.

Note: Object of `nihaniṣyāmi`.

निहनिष्यामि (nihaniṣyāmi) - I will strike down, I will kill

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of han

future active

Root `han` with desiderative suffix `-iṣya` and first person singular ending.

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

रसातलगतान् (rasātalagatān) - those who have fled to the netherworld (rasātala) (those who have gone to rasātala, having gone to the netherworld)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of rasātalagata

rasātalagata - gone to the netherworld (rasātala)

compound incorporating a past passive participle

Compound `rasātala` (substantive) + `gata` (participle of `gam`).

Compound type : tatpurusha (rasātala+gata)

• rasātala – the lowest of the seven underworld regions; the netherworld
  noun (neuter)
• gata – gone, arrived, reached
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root `gam` (to go) with suffix `-ta`.
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'you' (`vaḥ`).

अपि (api) - even (if they have gone) (also, even)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'even if...'.

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