महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-32, verse-23

ब्रह्मोवाच ।
शेषोऽसि नागोत्तम धर्मदेवो महीमिमां धारयसे यदेकः ।
अनन्तभोगः परिगृह्य सर्वां यथाहमेवं बलभिद्यथा वा ॥२३॥

23. brahmovāca ,
śeṣo'si nāgottama dharmadevo; mahīmimāṁ dhārayase yadekaḥ ,
anantabhogaḥ parigṛhya sarvāṁ; yathāhamevaṁ balabhidyathā vā.

23. brahmā uvāca | śeṣaḥ asi nāgottama
dharmadevaḥ mahīm imām dhārayase yat
ekaḥ | ananta-bhogaḥ parigṛhya
sarvām yathā aham evam balabhit yathā vā

23. Brahma said: 'O Shesha, you are the best of serpents, a god of Dharma, because you alone support this earth. You, with your infinite coils, uphold it completely, just as I do, or as Balabhit (Indra) does.'

Words meanings summery:

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - The creator god (Brahma)

• उवाच (uvāca) - stated (said, spoke)

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

• असि (asi) - you exist as (you are)

• नागोत्तम (nāgottama) - O best of serpents (vocative) (best of Nāgas (serpents))

• धर्मदेवः (dharmadevaḥ) - a deity embodying righteousness (god of Dharma)

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

• इमाम् (imām) - this (earth) (this, her)

• धारयसे (dhārayase) - you bear the weight of (you hold, you support)

• यत् (yat) - the reason for being a god of Dharma (because, since)

• एकः (ekaḥ) - single-handedly (alone, one)

• अनन्त-भोगः (ananta-bhogaḥ) - Shesha, known for his endless coils (having infinite coils/enjoyments)

• परिगृह्य (parigṛhya) - encompassing it fully (having grasped, having encompassed)

• सर्वाम् (sarvām) - the entire (earth) (all, entire)

• यथा (yathā) - in the same manner as (just as, as)

• अहम् (aham) - I (Brahma) (I)

• एवम् (evam) - in a similar fashion (thus, in this way)

• बलभित् (balabhit) - Indra, the king of gods (Indra (breaker of Bala))

• यथा (yathā) - in the same manner as (just as, as)

• वा (vā) - alternatively (or)

Words meanings and morphology

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - The creator god (Brahma)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahmā

brahmā - Brahma (the creator god)

उवाच (uvāca) - stated (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

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

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śeṣa

śeṣa - remainder, residue; name of a divine serpent

असि (asi) - you exist as (you are)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

नागोत्तम (nāgottama) - O best of serpents (vocative) (best of Nāgas (serpents))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nāgottama

nāgottama - best of serpents

Compound of nāga (serpent) + uttama (best)

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (nāga+uttama)

• nāga – serpent, snake, Nāga (a mythical serpent-being)
  noun (masculine)
• uttama – best, highest, supreme
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Address for Shesha.

धर्मदेवः (dharmadevaḥ) - a deity embodying righteousness (god of Dharma)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmadeva

dharmadeva - god of Dharma (righteousness, duty)

Compound of dharma (righteousness) + deva (god)

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (dharma+deva)

• dharma – righteousness, duty, law, virtue
  noun (masculine)
• deva – god, deity
  noun (masculine)

Note: Another epithet for Shesha.

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

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mahī

mahī - earth, ground, land

Note: Object of 'dhārayase'.

इमाम् (imām) - this (earth) (this, her)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'mahīm'.

धारयसे (dhārayase) - you bear the weight of (you hold, you support)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of dhṛ

causative

Present tense, 2nd person singular, middle voice of the causative stem of root dhṛ

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

यत् (yat) - the reason for being a god of Dharma (because, since)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunctive particle.

एकः (ekaḥ) - single-handedly (alone, one)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of eka

eka - one, single, alone, unique

Note: Qualifies the implied 'tvam' (you).

अनन्त-भोगः (ananta-bhogaḥ) - Shesha, known for his endless coils (having infinite coils/enjoyments)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ananta-bhoga

ananta-bhoga - having infinite coils (of a serpent) or having endless enjoyments

Bahuvrīhi compound: 'whose coils/enjoyments are endless'

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ananta+bhoga)

• ananta – endless, infinite, boundless; Ananta (name of Shesha)
  adjective (masculine)
  Nañ-tatpuruṣa compound: an (not) + anta (end)
  Prefix: an
• bhoga – coil (of a serpent), enjoyment, possession
  noun (masculine)

Note: Another epithet for Shesha.

परिगृह्य (parigṛhya) - encompassing it fully (having grasped, having encompassed)

(verb)

active, past (lyap) of grah

gerund

Indeclinable participle (gerund) of root grah with prefix pari

Prefix: pari

Root: grah (class 9)

Note: Modifies the implicit subject (Shesha).

सर्वाम् (sarvām) - the entire (earth) (all, entire)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, entire

Note: Qualifies the implied 'mahīm' (earth).

यथा (yathā) - in the same manner as (just as, as)

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I (Brahma) (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I, me

Note: Refers to Brahma.

एवम् (evam) - in a similar fashion (thus, in this way)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the comparison.

बलभित् (balabhit) - Indra, the king of gods (Indra (breaker of Bala))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of balabhit

balabhit - destroyer of Bala (the demon); epithet of Indra

agent noun

Upapada-tatpuruṣa compound: 'one who breaks Bala' (from root bhid)

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (bala+bhid)

• bala – strength, power; name of a demon
  noun (masculine)
• bhid – breaking, splitting; one who breaks
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun
  From root bhid (to break)
  Root: bhid (class 7)

Note: Epithet for Indra.

यथा (yathā) - in the same manner as (just as, as)

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - alternatively (or)

(indeclinable)