योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-1, chapter-3, verse-21

राघवश्चिन्तयित्वैवमुपेत्य चरणौ पितुः ।
हंसः पद्माविव नवौ जग्राह नखकेसरौ ॥ २१ ॥

rāghavaścintayitvaivamupetya caraṇau pituḥ ,
haṃsaḥ padmāviva navau jagrāha nakhakesarau 21

21. rāghavaḥ cintayitvā evam upetya caraṇau pituḥ
haṃsaḥ padmā iva navau jagrāha nakhakesarau

21. Having thought thus, Rāghava approached his father's feet. He took hold of his father's feet, which had nails like stamens, just as a swan grasps two fresh lotuses.

Words meanings summery:

• राघवः (rāghavaḥ) - Rāma (descendent of Raghu, Rāma)

• चिन्तयित्वा (cintayitvā) - having thought, having reflected

• एवम् (evam) - thus, so, in this manner

• उपेत्य (upetya) - having approached

• चरणौ (caraṇau) - two feet

• पितुः (pituḥ) - of the father

• हंसः (haṁsaḥ) - swan, goose

• पद्मा (padmā) - lotus (feminine noun)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• नवौ (navau) - new, fresh (dual)

• जग्राह (jagrāha) - he seized, he grasped, he took

• नखकेसरौ (nakhakesarau) - the nails of the father's feet, compared to stamens (two nails which are like stamens)

Words meanings and morphology

राघवः (rāghavaḥ) - Rāma (descendent of Raghu, Rāma)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rāghava

rāghava - descendent of Raghu, belonging to Raghu's lineage

Vṛddhi derivation from Raghu.

Note: Subject.

चिन्तयित्वा (cintayitvā) - having thought, having reflected

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

From root 'cit' (to perceive) + causative '-i' + suffix 'ktvā'.

Root: cit (class 1)

एवम् (evam) - thus, so, in this manner

(indeclinable)

From pronominal stem 'e'.

उपेत्य (upetya) - having approached

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

From root 'i' (to go) + 'upa' (prefix) + suffix 'lyap'.

Prefix: upa

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Connects to 'jagrāha'.

चरणौ (caraṇau) - two feet

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of caraṇa

caraṇa - foot, leg, act of walking

From root 'car' (to move).

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Object of 'upetya' and 'jagrāha'.

पितुः (pituḥ) - of the father

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pitṛ

pitṛ - father

Kinship term.

Note: 'Of the father'.

हंसः (haṁsaḥ) - swan, goose

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of haṃsa

haṁsa - swan, goose, a type of mythical bird

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Subject of the simile.

पद्मा (padmā) - lotus (feminine noun)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, dual of padmā

padmā - lotus (flower), Lakṣmī

Feminine form of 'padma'.

Note: In 'padmāviva', it's implicitly dual accusative.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

नवौ (navau) - new, fresh (dual)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, dual of nava

nava - new, fresh, young, nine

Note: Qualifies 'nakhakesarau'.

जग्राह (jagrāha) - he seized, he grasped, he took

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past (liṭ) of grah

perfect

Third person singular perfect, parasmaipada. Reduplicated root.

Root: grah (class 9)

Note: Main verb.

नखकेसरौ (nakhakesarau) - the nails of the father's feet, compared to stamens (two nails which are like stamens)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of nakhakesara

nakhakesara - nail-stamens (nails likened to stamens/filaments)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (nakha+kesara)

• nakha – nail, claw
  noun (masculine)
• kesara – mane, hair, stamen (of a flower)
  noun (masculine)

Note: Object of 'jagrāha'.