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.

9. בְּרַהְמָה אמר, נחשים רבים הם חדים, בעלי עוצמה מפחידה ומלאי ארס, ומתוך רצון לטובת היצורים החיים לא עצרתי בעדה אז.

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)

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