महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-206, verse-23

कथं च नानृतं तत्स्यात्तव चापि प्रियं भवेत् ।
न च पीड्येत मे धर्मस्तथा कुर्यां भुजंगमे ॥२३॥

23. kathaṁ ca nānṛtaṁ tatsyāttava cāpi priyaṁ bhavet ,
na ca pīḍyeta me dharmastathā kuryāṁ bhujaṁgame.

23. katham ca na anṛtam tat syāt tava ca api priyam bhavet
| na ca pīḍyeta me dharmaḥ tathā kuryām bhujaṅgame

23. O serpent maiden, how could I act such that it would not be untrue, would be pleasing to you, and my sacred duty (dharma) would not be violated?

23. כיצד אפעל, הו נחשה, כך שלא אשקר, אמלא את רצונך, ודרך היושר שלי לא תיפגע?

Words meanings summery:

• कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what way

• च (ca) - and, also

• अनृतम् (anṛtam) - untrue, falsehood, lie

• तत् (tat) - that, it

• स्यात् (syāt) - it would be, may it be, should be

• तव (tava) - your, to you

• च (ca) - and, also

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• प्रियम् (priyam) - what is dear or pleasing (dear, beloved, agreeable, what is pleasing)

• भवेत् (bhavet) - it would be, it should be, may it be

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also

• पीड्येत (pīḍyeta) - it would be harmed, it would be oppressed, it would be violated

• मे (me) - my, to me

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - my sacred duty or vow (dharma) (duty, righteousness, sacred law, vow)

• तथा (tathā) - in such a way (thus, in that way, so)

• कुर्याम् (kuryām) - I would do, I should do, I would make

• भुजङ्गमे (bhujaṅgame) - O serpent maiden (addressing Ulūpī) (O serpent, O female serpent, O serpent maiden)

Words meanings and morphology

कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what way

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अनृतम् (anṛtam) - untrue, falsehood, lie

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anṛta

anṛta - untrue, false, falsehood, disorder

negation of ṛta (truth)

Compound type : nan-tatpuruṣa (na+ṛta)

• na – not
  indeclinable
• ṛta – truth, cosmic order, right
  noun (neuter)

तत् (tat) - that, it

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, this

स्यात् (syāt) - it would be, may it be, should be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of √as

Root: as (class 2)

तव (tava) - your, to you

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular and plural)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

प्रियम् (priyam) - what is dear or pleasing (dear, beloved, agreeable, what is pleasing)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of priya

priya - dear, beloved, pleasing, agreeable, one's own

भवेत् (bhavet) - it would be, it should be, may it be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of √bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

पीड्येत (pīḍyeta) - it would be harmed, it would be oppressed, it would be violated

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, optative (liṅ) of √pīḍ

Root: pīḍ (class 10)

मे (me) - my, to me

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Alternate dative meaning is possible

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - my sacred duty or vow (dharma) (duty, righteousness, sacred law, vow)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness, virtue, custom, sacred law

तथा (tathā) - in such a way (thus, in that way, so)

(indeclinable)

कुर्याम् (kuryām) - I would do, I should do, I would make

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of √kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

भुजङ्गमे (bhujaṅgame) - O serpent maiden (addressing Ulūpī) (O serpent, O female serpent, O serpent maiden)

(noun)

Vocative, feminine, singular of bhujaṅgamā

bhujaṅgamā - a female serpent, a serpent

feminine form of bhujaṅgama

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