महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-158, verse-17

पुरा हिमवतश्चैषा हेमशृङ्गाद्विनिःसृता ।
गङ्गा गत्वा समुद्राम्भः सप्तधा प्रतिपद्यते ॥१७॥

17. purā himavataścaiṣā hemaśṛṅgādviniḥsṛtā ,
gaṅgā gatvā samudrāmbhaḥ saptadhā pratipadyate.

17. purā himavataḥ ca eṣā hema-śṛṅgāt viniḥsṛtā
gaṅgā gatvā samudra-ambhaḥ saptadhā pratipadyate

17. Long ago, this Gaṅgā emerged from the golden peaks of the Himalayas; having flowed, she reaches the ocean's waters, branching into seven streams.

Words meanings summery:

• पुरा (purā) - formerly, long ago, in ancient times

• हिमवतः (himavataḥ) - of the Himalayas, from the Himalayas

• च (ca) - and

• एषा (eṣā) - Refers to the Gaṅgā. (this (feminine))

• हेम-शृङ्गात् (hema-śṛṅgāt) - from the golden peak

• विनिःसृता (viniḥsṛtā) - emerged, issued forth

• गङ्गा (gaṅgā) - the Gaṅgā river

• गत्वा (gatvā) - having gone, having flowed

• समुद्र-अम्भः (samudra-ambhaḥ) - the ocean's waters

• सप्तधा (saptadhā) - Refers to the Gaṅgā dividing into seven branches. (in seven ways, into seven parts/streams)

• प्रतिपद्यते (pratipadyate) - The Gaṅgā reaches the ocean by dividing into seven streams. (she obtains, she reaches, she becomes, she takes to)

Words meanings and morphology

पुरा (purā) - formerly, long ago, in ancient times

(indeclinable)

हिमवतः (himavataḥ) - of the Himalayas, from the Himalayas

(noun)

masculine, singular of himavat

himavat - Himālaya (mountain range); snowy, icy

Possessive suffix -mat added to hima

Note: Used here in the sense of 'from' (ablative), as the source of the river.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

एषा (eṣā) - Refers to the Gaṅgā. (this (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one (near speaker)

हेम-शृङ्गात् (hema-śṛṅgāt) - from the golden peak

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of hema-śṛṅga

hema-śṛṅga - golden peak

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (hema+śṛṅga)

• hema – gold
  noun (neuter)
• śṛṅga – horn, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)

विनिःसृता (viniḥsṛtā) - emerged, issued forth

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of viniḥsṛ

viniḥsṛ - to issue forth, to come out, to emerge

Past Passive Participle

from vi-niḥ-sṛ (vi + nis + sṛ)

Prefixes: vi+nis

Root: sṛ (class 1)

Note: Functions as an adjective describing Gaṅgā.

गङ्गा (gaṅgā) - the Gaṅgā river

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of gaṅgā

gaṅgā - the Gaṅgā river (Ganges)

गत्वा (gatvā) - having gone, having flowed

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

from root gam with -tvā suffix

Root: gam (class 1)

समुद्र-अम्भः (samudra-ambhaḥ) - the ocean's waters

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of samudra-ambhas

samudra-ambhas - ocean water, sea water

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (samudra+ambhas)

• samudra – ocean, sea
  noun (masculine)
• ambhas – water
  noun (neuter)

सप्तधा (saptadhā) - Refers to the Gaṅgā dividing into seven branches. (in seven ways, into seven parts/streams)

(indeclinable)

Suffix -dhā (in X ways) added to sapta (seven)

प्रतिपद्यते (pratipadyate) - The Gaṅgā reaches the ocean by dividing into seven streams. (she obtains, she reaches, she becomes, she takes to)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of pratipad

Present Middle

Root pad (class 4) with prefix prati

Prefix: prati

Root: pad (class 4)