महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-34, verse-9

ब्रह्मोवाच ।
बहवः पन्नगास्तीक्ष्णा भीमवीर्या विषोल्बणाः ।
प्रजानां हितकामोऽहं न निवारितवांस्तदा ॥९॥

9. brahmovāca ,
bahavaḥ pannagāstīkṣṇā bhīmavīryā viṣolbaṇāḥ ,
prajānāṁ hitakāmo'haṁ na nivāritavāṁstadā.

9. brahmā uvāca bahavaḥ pannagāḥ tīkṣṇāḥ bhīmavīryāḥ
viṣolbaṇāḥ prajānām hitakāmaḥ aham na nivāritavān tadā

9. Brahmā said: There are many serpents—fierce, possessing dreadful power, and abounding in venom. Desiring the welfare of creatures, I did not prevent them at that time.

Words meanings summery:

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (as the speaker) (Brahmā (the creator god))

• उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

• बहवः (bahavaḥ) - many (serpents) (many, numerous)

• पन्नगाः (pannagāḥ) - serpents (serpents, snakes)

• तीक्ष्णाः (tīkṣṇāḥ) - fierce (referring to the serpents' nature) (sharp, fierce, keen)

• भीमवीर्याः (bhīmavīryāḥ) - possessing dreadful power (of dreadful valor/prowess/strength)

• विषोल्बणाः (viṣolbaṇāḥ) - abounding in venom (abounding in poison, excessively venomous)

• प्रजानाम् (prajānām) - of creatures (of creatures, of subjects, of progeny)

• हितकामः (hitakāmaḥ) - desirous of welfare (desirous of welfare, wishing well)

• अहम् (aham) - I (Brahmā) (I)

• न (na) - not

• निवारितवान् (nivāritavān) - did not prevent (prevented, stopped)

• तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

Words meanings and morphology

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (as the speaker) (Brahmā (the creator god))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator god); the Absolute Reality

उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

बहवः (bahavaḥ) - many (serpents) (many, numerous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous

पन्नगाः (pannagāḥ) - serpents (serpents, snakes)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pannaga

pannaga - serpent, snake (lit. 'moving on the belly')

From pan 'belly' + naga 'mountain/tree' (here referring to movement, or perhaps 'moving on the ground')

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (panna+ga)

• panna – fallen, descended; a wing; (here implying 'belly' in some interpretations)
  noun
  past participle
  From root √pat (to fall, to fly)
  Root: pat (class 1)
• ga – going, moving
  adjective
  From root √gam (to go)
  Root: gam (class 1)

तीक्ष्णाः (tīkṣṇāḥ) - fierce (referring to the serpents' nature) (sharp, fierce, keen)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tīkṣṇa

tīkṣṇa - sharp, keen, fiery, fierce, pungent

Note: Agrees with pannagāḥ.

भीमवीर्याः (bhīmavīryāḥ) - possessing dreadful power (of dreadful valor/prowess/strength)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhīmavīrya

bhīmavīrya - possessing dreadful power/valor/strength

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bhīma+vīrya)

• bhīma – dreadful, terrible
  adjective
  Root: bhī (class 3)
• vīrya – valor, power, strength, energy
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with pannagāḥ.

विषोल्बणाः (viṣolbaṇāḥ) - abounding in venom (abounding in poison, excessively venomous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of viṣolbaṇa

viṣolbaṇa - abounding in poison, excessively venomous

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (viṣa+ulbaṇa)

• viṣa – poison, venom
  noun (neuter)
• ulbaṇa – excessive, abundant, fierce
  adjective

Note: Agrees with pannagāḥ.

प्रजानाम् (prajānām) - of creatures (of creatures, of subjects, of progeny)

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, plural of prajā

prajā - creature, progeny, subjects, people

Prefix: pra

Root: jan (class 4)

हितकामः (hitakāmaḥ) - desirous of welfare (desirous of welfare, wishing well)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hitakāma

hitakāma - desirous of welfare, wishing well, benevolent

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (hita+kāma)

• hita – beneficial, welfare, good (past participle of √dhā + hi)
  adjective
  past participle
  From √dhā, 'placed', but here means 'good, beneficial'
  Root: dhā (class 3)
• kāma – desire, wish
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kam (class 1)

Note: Agrees with aham.

अहम् (aham) - I (Brahmā) (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

निवारितवान् (nivāritavān) - did not prevent (prevented, stopped)

(nominal form)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nivārita

nivārita - prevented, warded off, stopped

past participle active

From root √vṛ (to cover, to choose) with ni. Formed with the suffix -tavat (kṛt-pratyaya) from the causative stem nivāraya-, meaning 'one who prevented'.

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Agrees with aham.

तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)