महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-32, verse-20

शेष उवाच ।
यथाह देवो वरदः प्रजापतिर्महीपतिर्भूतपतिर्जगत्पतिः ।
तथा महीं धारयितास्मि निश्चलां प्रयच्छ तां मे शिरसि प्रजापते ॥२०॥

20. śeṣa uvāca ,
yathāha devo varadaḥ prajāpati;rmahīpatirbhūtapatirjagatpatiḥ ,
tathā mahīṁ dhārayitāsmi niścalāṁ; prayaccha tāṁ me śirasi prajāpate.

20. śeṣaḥ uvāca | yathā āha devaḥ varadaḥ
prajāpatiḥ mahīpatiḥ bhūtapatiḥ jagatpatiḥ
| tathā mahīm dhārayitā asmi niścalām
prayaccha tām me śirasi prajāpate

20. Shesha said: 'As the god, the bestower of boons, the Lord of creation, the Lord of the earth, the Lord of beings, the Lord of the universe, has commanded, so I shall hold the earth firmly. Therefore, O Lord of creation, entrust it to me upon my head.'

Words meanings summery:

• शेषः (śeṣaḥ) - Name of the divine serpent (Shesha)

• उवाच (uvāca) - stated (said, spoke)

• यथा (yathā) - in the way that (as, just as, according to)

• आह (āha) - commanded, declared (said, spoke)

• देवः (devaḥ) - The Supreme Being (Brahma) (god, deity)

• वरदः (varadaḥ) - the one who grants wishes (bestowing boons, boon-giver)

• प्रजापतिः (prajāpatiḥ) - Brahma, the creator (lord of creation, progenitor)

• महीपतिः (mahīpatiḥ) - controller of the terrestrial realm (lord of the earth)

• भूतपतिः (bhūtapatiḥ) - controller of all created beings (lord of beings, lord of elements)

• जगत्पतिः (jagatpatiḥ) - supreme lord of all existence (lord of the universe)

• तथा (tathā) - accordingly (so, thus, in that manner)

• महीम् (mahīm) - the planet Earth (earth, ground)

• धारयिता (dhārayitā) - I shall be the one to hold/support (one who will hold/support)

• अस्मि (asmi) - I am (the one who will) (I am, I exist)

• निश्चलाम् (niścalām) - immovably, firmly (qualifying the earth) (unmoving, stable, firm)

• प्रयच्छ (prayaccha) - entrust, place upon (give, offer, bestow)

• ताम् (tām) - that (earth) (that, her)

• मे (me) - to me (dative) (to me, for me, my)

• शिरसि (śirasi) - on my head (on the head)

• प्रजापते (prajāpate) - O Brahma (O Lord of Creation)

Words meanings and morphology

शेषः (śeṣaḥ) - Name of the divine serpent (Shesha)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śeṣa

śeṣa - remainder, residue; name of a divine serpent

उवाच (uvāca) - stated (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

यथा (yathā) - in the way that (as, just as, according to)

(indeclinable)

आह (āha) - commanded, declared (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of brū

Root: brū (class 2)

देवः (devaḥ) - The Supreme Being (Brahma) (god, deity)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of deva

deva - god, deity, divine being

Note: Refers to Brahma in this context.

वरदः (varadaḥ) - the one who grants wishes (bestowing boons, boon-giver)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of varada

varada - granting boons, boon-giver

agent noun

Compound formed from 'vara' (boon) and 'da' (giver, from root dā)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vara+da)

• vara – boon, wish, blessing
  noun (masculine)
• da – giving, giver, bestowing
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun
  From root dā (to give)
  Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'devaḥ'.

प्रजापतिः (prajāpatiḥ) - Brahma, the creator (lord of creation, progenitor)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prajāpati

prajāpati - lord of creatures/creation, progenitor, Brahma

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (prajā+pati)

• prajā – offspring, creatures, people
  noun (feminine)
• pati – master, lord, owner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Another epithet for Brahma.

महीपतिः (mahīpatiḥ) - controller of the terrestrial realm (lord of the earth)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahīpati

mahīpati - lord of the earth, king

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (mahī+pati)

• mahī – earth, ground, land
  noun (feminine)
• pati – master, lord, owner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Another epithet for Brahma.

भूतपतिः (bhūtapatiḥ) - controller of all created beings (lord of beings, lord of elements)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhūtapati

bhūtapati - lord of beings, lord of elements, Shiva

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (bhūta+pati)

• bhūta – being, creature, element
  noun (masculine)
• pati – master, lord, owner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Another epithet for Brahma.

जगत्पतिः (jagatpatiḥ) - supreme lord of all existence (lord of the universe)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jagatpati

jagatpati - lord of the world/universe

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (jagat+pati)

• jagat – world, universe, moving
  noun (neuter)
• pati – master, lord, owner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Another epithet for Brahma.

तथा (tathā) - accordingly (so, thus, in that manner)

(indeclinable)

Note: Corresponds to 'yathā'.

महीम् (mahīm) - the planet Earth (earth, ground)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mahī

mahī - earth, ground, land

Note: Object of 'dhārayitā asmi'.

धारयिता (dhārayitā) - I shall be the one to hold/support (one who will hold/support)

(nominal form)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dhṛ

dhṛ - to hold, bear, support, maintain

agent noun (future active participle)

From causative stem of root dhṛ, formed with suffix -tṛ (future agent)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Used with 'asmi' to form a future periphrastic.

अस्मि (asmi) - I am (the one who will) (I am, I exist)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Auxiliary verb for future periphrastic.

निश्चलाम् (niścalām) - immovably, firmly (qualifying the earth) (unmoving, stable, firm)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of niścala

niścala - immovable, steady, firm

Nañ-tatpuruṣa compound: na (not) + cala (moving)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (na+cala)

• na – not, no
  indeclinable
• cala – moving, trembling, unsteady
  adjective (masculine)
  participle
  From root cal (to move)
  Root: cal (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'mahīm'.

प्रयच्छ (prayaccha) - entrust, place upon (give, offer, bestow)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of yam

Prefix: pra

Root: yam (class 1)

Note: Transitive verb.

ताम् (tām) - that (earth) (that, her)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'mahīm'.

मे (me) - to me (dative) (to me, for me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of aham

aham - I, me

Note: Can be dative or genitive. Here dative with 'prayaccha'.

शिरसि (śirasi) - on my head (on the head)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of śiras

śiras - head, top

प्रजापते (prajāpate) - O Brahma (O Lord of Creation)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of prajāpati

prajāpati - lord of creatures/creation, progenitor, Brahma

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (prajā+pati)

• prajā – offspring, creatures, people
  noun (feminine)
• pati – master, lord, owner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Address to Brahma.