Today we will look at the form रामः mNs from श्रीमद्-वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् 1.1.48.

तेन तत्रैव वसता जनस्थाननिवासिनी । विरूपिता शूर्पणखा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी ।। १-१-४६ ।।
ततः शूर्पणखावाक्यादुद्युक्तान्सर्वराक्षसान् । खरं त्रिशिरसं चैव दूषणं चैव राक्षसं ।। १-१-४७ ।।
निजघान रणे रामस्तेषां चैव पदानुगान् । वने तस्मिन् निवसता जनस्थाननिवासिनाम् ।। १-१-४८ ।।
रक्षसां निहतान्यासन् सहस्राणि चतुर्दश ।

Gita Press translation – The ogress Śūrpaṇakhā (so-called because the monstress possessed nails as big as a winnowing fan), who dwelt in Janasthāna (a portion of the Daṇdaka forest) and was capable of assuming any form at will, was disfigured by Śrī Rāma (by having her nose and ears lopped off by Lakṣmaṇa) while living in that very forest (46). Śrī Rāma then killed on the field of battle all the ogres that came prepared (for an encounter) at the instigation of Śūrpaṇakhā, including (their leaders) Khara, Triśirā and the ogre Dūṣaṇa as also their followers. (No less than) fourteen thousand of ogres dwelling in Janasthāna were made short work of by Rāma while sojourning in that forest (47,48, first half of 49).

रमते लोकोऽस्मिन्निति राम:।

The पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम् ‘राम’ is derived from the verbal root √रम् (रमुँ क्रीडायाम् | रमँ इति माधवः १. ९८९).

(1) रम् + घञ् । By 3-3-121 हलश्च – To denote the instrument or the locus of the action, the affix घञ् is used following a verbal root ending in a consonant provided the word so derived is used in the masculine gender as a proper name.
Note: The affix ‘घञ्’ prescribed by this सूत्रम् is a अपवाद: (exception) to the affix ‘घ’ prescribed by 3-3-118 पुंसि संज्ञायां घः प्रायेण।

(2) रम् + अ । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-3 हलन्त्यम्, 1-3-8 लशक्वतद्धिते, 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(3) राम । By 7-2-116 अत उपधायाः – A penultimate (उपधा) अकार: of a अङ्गम् gets वृद्धिः as the substitute when followed by an affix which is a ञित् or a णित्।

‘राम’ gets प्रातिपदिक-सञ्ज्ञा by 1-2-46 कृत्तद्धितसमासाश्च – A word form that ends in a कृत्-प्रत्ययः or a तद्धित-प्रत्ययः and so also compounds gets the name प्रातिपदिकम्।

The विवक्षा is प्रथमा-एकवचनम्।

(4) राम + सुँ । By 4-1-2 स्वौजसमौट्छष्टाभ्याम्भिस्ङेभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसिँभ्याम्भ्यस्ङसोसाम्ङ्योस्सुप्।

(5) राम + स् । अनुबन्ध-लोपः by 1-3-2 उपदेशेऽजनुनासिक इत् and 1-3-9 तस्य लोपः।

(6) राम: । रुँत्व-विसर्गौ by 8-2-66 ससजुषो रुः and 8-3-15 खरवसानयोर्विसर्जनीयः।

Questions:

1. Where has राम: been used in Chapter Ten of the गीता?

2. Can you recall a सूत्रम् from Chapter Seven of the अष्टाध्यायी in which पाणिनि: specifically mentions the verbal root √रम् (रमुँ क्रीडायाम् | रमँ इति माधवः १. ९८९)?

3. Can you spot the affix ‘ल्यु’ in the verses?

4. Which कृत् affix is used to form the प्रातिपदिकम् ‘रण’?

5. Where has the सूत्रम् 6-4-37 अनुदात्तोपदेशवनतितनोत्यादीनामनुनासिकलोपो झलि क्ङिति been used in the verses?

6. How would you say this in Sanskrit?
“O Rāma! (Please) uplift me.”

Easy questions:

1. Can you spot the augment आट् in the verses?

2. Which सूत्रम् prescribes the letter ‘घ्’ as a substitute in निजघान?