महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-187, verse-28

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
सूक्ष्मो धर्मो महाराज नास्य विद्मो वयं गतिम् ।
पूर्वेषामानुपूर्व्येण यातं वर्त्मानुयामहे ॥२८॥

28. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
sūkṣmo dharmo mahārāja nāsya vidmo vayaṁ gatim ,
pūrveṣāmānupūrvyeṇa yātaṁ vartmānuyāmahe.

28. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca sūkṣmaḥ dharmaḥ mahārāja na asya vidmaḥ
vayam gatim pūrveṣām ānupūrvyena yātam vartma anuyāmahe

28. Yudhiṣṭhira said: "O great king, (natural) law (dharma) is subtle; we do not know its path. Therefore, we follow the path trodden by our ancestors, in due order."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, spoke

• सूक्ष्मः (sūkṣmaḥ) - subtle, minute, fine

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty

• महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king, O emperor

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्य (asya) - of this, of him, its

• विद्मः (vidmaḥ) - we know

• वयम् (vayam) - we

• गतिम् (gatim) - path, course, way, movement

• पूर्वेषाम् (pūrveṣām) - of the former ones, of the ancestors

• आनुपूर्व्येन (ānupūrvyena) - in due order, in succession

• यातम् (yātam) - gone, proceeded, trodden

• वर्त्म (vartma) - path, road, way

• अनुयामहे (anuyāmahe) - we follow, we pursue

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

perfect active

Root: vac (class 2)

सूक्ष्मः (sūkṣmaḥ) - subtle, minute, fine

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sūkṣma

sūkṣma - subtle, minute, fine, delicate

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king, O emperor

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahārāja

mahārāja - great king, emperor

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+rājan)

• mahā – great, mighty
  adjective (masculine)
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अस्य (asya) - of this, of him, its

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

विद्मः (vidmaḥ) - we know

(verb)

1st person , plural, active, present (lat) of vid

present active

Root: vid (class 2)

वयम् (vayam) - we

(pronoun)

Nominative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

गतिम् (gatim) - path, course, way, movement

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of gati

gati - going, motion, path, course, condition

Derived from root gam (to go)

Root: gam (class 1)

पूर्वेषाम् (pūrveṣām) - of the former ones, of the ancestors

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of pūrva

pūrva - former, earlier, prior, ancient

आनुपूर्व्येन (ānupūrvyena) - in due order, in succession

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of ānupūrvya

ānupūrvya - due order, regular succession

यातम् (yātam) - gone, proceeded, trodden

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of yāta

yāta - gone, travelled, trodden

Past Passive Participle

PPP of yā

Root: yā (class 2)

वर्त्म (vartma) - path, road, way

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vartman

vartman - path, road, way, course

अनुयामहे (anuyāmahe) - we follow, we pursue

(verb)

1st person , plural, middle, present (lat) of anu-yā

present middle

Prefix: anu

Root: yā (class 2)