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?

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