महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-4, verse-8

सूत उवाच ।
एवमस्तु गुरौ तस्मिन्नुपविष्टे महात्मनि ।
तेन पृष्टः कथाः पुण्या वक्ष्यामि विविधाश्रयाः ॥८॥

8. sūta uvāca ,
evamastu gurau tasminnupaviṣṭe mahātmani ,
tena pṛṣṭaḥ kathāḥ puṇyā vakṣyāmi vividhāśrayāḥ.

8. sūta uvāca evam astu gurau tasmin upaviṣṭe mahātmani
tena pṛṣṭaḥ kathāḥ puṇyāḥ vakṣyāmi vividhāśrayāḥ

8. Sūta said: 'So be it! When that great-souled teacher is seated, I shall narrate, in response to his questions, sacred stories dealing with various subjects.'

Words meanings summery:

• सूत (sūta) - Sūta (the speaker, Ugraśravas Sauti) (Sūta (proper noun), charioteer)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

• एवम् (evam) - so (referring to agreement) (thus, so, in this manner)

• अस्तु (astu) - so be it! (let it be, may it be)

• गुरौ (gurau) - when the teacher (in the teacher, when the teacher)

• तस्मिन् (tasmin) - that (teacher) (in that, on that)

• उपविष्टे (upaviṣṭe) - seated (seated, having sat down)

• महात्मनि (mahātmani) - that great-souled one (teacher) (in the great soul, in the magnanimous one)

• तेन (tena) - by him (the teacher) (by him, with him)

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - being asked (asked, questioned)

• कथाः (kathāḥ) - stories (stories, narratives)

• पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - sacred (sacred, meritorious, virtuous)

• वक्ष्यामि (vakṣyāmi) - I shall narrate (I will speak, I will say)

• विविधाश्रयाः (vividhāśrayāḥ) - dealing with various subjects (having various आश्रय (subjects, supports), dependent on various things)

Words meanings and morphology

सूत (sūta) - Sūta (the speaker, Ugraśravas Sauti) (Sūta (proper noun), charioteer)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sūta

sūta - charioteer, bard, herald, a caste

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Irregular perfect form.

एवम् (evam) - so (referring to agreement) (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

अस्तु (astu) - so be it! (let it be, may it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

गुरौ (gurau) - when the teacher (in the teacher, when the teacher)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of guru

guru - teacher, preceptor, heavy, venerable

Note: Used in a locative absolute construction.

तस्मिन् (tasmin) - that (teacher) (in that, on that)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Qualifies gurau.

उपविष्टे (upaviṣṭe) - seated (seated, having sat down)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of upaviṣṭa

upaviṣṭa - seated, sat down

past passive participle

prefix upa + root viś (to enter)

Prefix: upa

Root: viś (class 6)

Note: Used in a locative absolute construction.

महात्मनि (mahātmani) - that great-souled one (teacher) (in the great soul, in the magnanimous one)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, magnanimous, noble

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahat+ātman)

• mahat – great, large, vast
  adjective
• ātman – self, soul, spirit
  noun (masculine)

Note: Qualifies gurau.

तेन (tena) - by him (the teacher) (by him, with him)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Agent of the passive participle pṛṣṭaḥ.

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - being asked (asked, questioned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pṛṣṭa

pṛṣṭa - asked, questioned, inquired

past passive participle

root prach (to ask)

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Qualifies the implied 'I' (Sūta).

कथाः (kathāḥ) - stories (stories, narratives)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of kathā

kathā - story, tale, narrative, discourse

Note: Object of vakṣyāmi.

पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - sacred (sacred, meritorious, virtuous)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, plural of puṇya

puṇya - meritorious, virtuous, sacred, pure, good deed

Note: Qualifies kathāḥ.

वक्ष्यामि (vakṣyāmi) - I shall narrate (I will speak, I will say)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Irregular future form.

विविधाश्रयाः (vividhāśrayāḥ) - dealing with various subjects (having various आश्रय (subjects, supports), dependent on various things)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, plural of vividhāśraya

vividhāśraya - having various supports/dependencies, dealing with diverse subjects

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (vividha+āśraya)

• vividha – various, diverse, manifold
  adjective
  Prefix: vi
• āśraya – shelter, support, refuge, resort, subject matter
  noun (masculine)
  prefix ā + root śri (to lean on)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: śri (class 1)

Note: Qualifies kathāḥ.