महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-76, verse-20

देवयान्युवाच ।
पाणिधर्मो नाहुषायं न पुम्भिः सेवितः पुरा ।
तं मे त्वमग्रहीरग्रे वृणोमि त्वामहं ततः ॥२०॥

20. devayānyuvāca ,
pāṇidharmo nāhuṣāyaṁ na pumbhiḥ sevitaḥ purā ,
taṁ me tvamagrahīragre vṛṇomi tvāmahaṁ tataḥ.

20. devayānī uvāca pāṇi-dharmaḥ nāhuṣa ayam na pumbhiḥ sevitaḥ
purā tam me tvam agrahīḥ agre vṛṇomi tvām aham tataḥ

20. Devayānī said: O scion of Nahuṣa, this custom of hand-grasping (marriage) was not observed by men before. You were the first to perform it with me; therefore, I now choose you as my husband.

Words meanings summery:

• देवयानी (devayānī) - Devayānī (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• पाणि-धर्मः (pāṇi-dharmaḥ) - the custom of taking the hand (in marriage) (custom of hand-grasping, marriage ritual)

• नाहुष (nāhuṣa) - O Yayāti, descendant of Nahuṣa (O scion of Nahuṣa)

• अयम् (ayam) - this (custom) (this, this one)

• न (na) - not, no

• पुम्भिः (pumbhiḥ) - by men

• सेवितः (sevitaḥ) - practiced, served, observed

• पुरा (purā) - formerly, previously, in ancient times

• तम् (tam) - it (the hand-grasping custom) (that, him, it)

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

• त्वम् (tvam) - you

• अग्रहीः (agrahīḥ) - you took (my hand) (you took, you grasped)

• अग्रे (agre) - first (in time) (first, in front, at the beginning)

• वृणोमि (vṛṇomi) - I choose you (as husband) (I choose, I select)

• त्वाम् (tvām) - you

• अहम् (aham) - I

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, therefore, from that

Words meanings and morphology

देवयानी (devayānī) - Devayānī (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of devayānī

devayānī - Devayānī (daughter of Śukra, wife of Yayāti)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense

3rd person singular active perfect of root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

पाणि-धर्मः (pāṇi-dharmaḥ) - the custom of taking the hand (in marriage) (custom of hand-grasping, marriage ritual)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pāṇi-dharma

pāṇi-dharma - custom of hand-grasping (marriage), duty relating to the hand

Compound type : tatpurusha (pāṇi+dharma)

• pāṇi – hand
  noun (masculine)
• dharma – custom, law, duty, dharma
  noun (masculine)

नाहुष (nāhuṣa) - O Yayāti, descendant of Nahuṣa (O scion of Nahuṣa)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nāhuṣa

nāhuṣa - descendant of Nahuṣa

Patronymic from Nahuṣa

अयम् (ayam) - this (custom) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

पुम्भिः (pumbhiḥ) - by men

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of puṃs

puṁs - man, male, human being

सेवितः (sevitaḥ) - practiced, served, observed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sevita

sevita - served, practiced, honored, frequented

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root sev

Root: sev (class 1)

पुरा (purā) - formerly, previously, in ancient times

(indeclinable)

तम् (tam) - it (the hand-grasping custom) (that, him, it)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

मे (me) - with me (to me, for me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

Note: Used here with a verb of 'taking', implying 'for' or 'with respect to' me.

त्वम् (tvam) - you

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

अग्रहीः (agrahīḥ) - you took (my hand) (you took, you grasped)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, past (luṅ) of grah

Aorist

2nd person singular active aorist of root grah, with augment a-

Root: grah (class 9)

अग्रे (agre) - first (in time) (first, in front, at the beginning)

(indeclinable)

Locative singular used adverbially

वृणोमि (vṛṇomi) - I choose you (as husband) (I choose, I select)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (lat) of vṛ

present tense

1st person singular active present of root vṛ (class 9)

Root: vṛ (class 9)

त्वाम् (tvām) - you

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

ततः (tataḥ) - then, therefore, from that

(indeclinable)