महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-188, verse-22

ततो द्वैपायनस्तस्मै नरेन्द्राय महात्मने ।
आचख्यौ तद्यथा धर्मो बहूनामेकपत्निता ॥२२॥

22. tato dvaipāyanastasmai narendrāya mahātmane ,
ācakhyau tadyathā dharmo bahūnāmekapatnitā.

22. tataḥ dvaipāyanaḥ tasmai narendrāya mahātmane
ācakhyau tat yathā dharmaḥ bahūnām ekapatnitā

22. Then, Dvaipāyana narrated to that great-souled king how the natural law (dharma) concerning many (men) having one wife (ekapatnitā) applies.

Words meanings summery:

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter, from that

• द्वैपायनः (dvaipāyanaḥ) - Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

• तस्मै (tasmai) - to him, to that

• नरेन्द्राय (narendrāya) - to the king

• महात्मने (mahātmane) - to the great-souled one, to the noble one

• आचख्यौ (ācakhyau) - he narrated, he told

• तत् (tat) - that (matter, story)

• यथा (yathā) - as, how, in which manner

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

• बहूनाम् (bahūnām) - of many men (of many, of numerous)

• एकपत्निता (ekapatnitā) - the state of having one wife, monogamy

Words meanings and morphology

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter, from that

(indeclinable)

द्वैपायनः (dvaipāyanaḥ) - Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dvaipāyana

dvaipāyana - Vyāsa, son of Parāśara, born on an island

तस्मै (tasmai) - to him, to that

(pronoun)

Dative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

नरेन्द्राय (narendrāya) - to the king

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of narendra

narendra - king, lord of men

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nara+indra)

• nara – man, human
  noun (masculine)
• indra – Indra, chief, lord
  noun (masculine)

महात्मने (mahātmane) - to the great-souled one, to the noble one

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, noble, magnanimous, the great self (ātman)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahat+ātman)

• mahat – great, large, vast
  adjective (neuter)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)

आचख्यौ (ācakhyau) - he narrated, he told

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of ā-√khyā

Perfect tense (Lit)

Prefix: ā

Root: khyā (class 2)

तत् (tat) - that (matter, story)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Can also be accusative singular neuter.

यथा (yathā) - as, how, in which manner

(indeclinable)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty, virtue, righteousness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, duty, virtue, righteousness, cosmic order, spiritual path

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

बहूनाम् (bahūnām) - of many men (of many, of numerous)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - many, numerous, abundant, much

एकपत्निता (ekapatnitā) - the state of having one wife, monogamy

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ekapatnitā

ekapatnitā - the state of having one wife, monogamy, faithfulness to one wife

Derived from ekapatnī (one wife) + -tā (suffix for abstract noun)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (eka+patnī)

• eka – one, single, unique
  numeral
• patnī – wife, mistress of a house
  noun (feminine)