महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-85, verse-1

अष्टक उवाच ।
यदावसो नन्दने कामरूपी संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम् ।
किं कारणं कार्तयुगप्रधान हित्वा तत्त्वं वसुधामन्वपद्यः ॥१॥

1. aṣṭaka uvāca ,
yadāvaso nandane kāmarūpī; saṁvatsarāṇāmayutaṁ śatānām ,
kiṁ kāraṇaṁ kārtayugapradhāna; hitvā tattvaṁ vasudhāmanvapadyaḥ.

1. aṣṭaka uvāca yadā avasaḥ nandane
kāmarūpī saṃvatsarāṇām ayutam
śatānām kim kāraṇam kārtayugapradhāna
hitvā tattvam vasudhām anvapadyaḥ

1. Aṣṭaka asked: 'You resided in Nandana, the celestial garden, for a million years, assuming any form at will (kāmarūpī). O foremost among those of the Kṛta age, what was the reason that, having abandoned that elevated state (tattva), you descended to the earth?'

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टक (aṣṭaka) - Aṣṭaka, the son of Viśvāmitra and Madhavī, to whom Yayāti recounts his story (Aṣṭaka)

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

• यदा (yadā) - when (when, at which time)

• अवसः (avasaḥ) - you resided (you dwelt, you resided)

• नन्दने (nandane) - in Nandana (the celestial garden of Indra) (in Nandana)

• कामरूपी (kāmarūpī) - capable of assuming any form at will (assuming any form at will, having desired form)

• संवत्सराणाम् (saṁvatsarāṇām) - of years

• अयुतम् (ayutam) - ten thousand

• शतानाम् (śatānām) - of hundreds

• किम् (kim) - what (what, why)

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - reason (reason, cause)

• कार्तयुगप्रधान (kārtayugapradhāna) - O foremost among those of the Kṛta age (O foremost of the Kṛta age)

• हित्वा (hitvā) - having abandoned (having abandoned, having left)

• तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - that true/elevated state (of being in Nandana) (reality, truth, true state, principle)

• वसुधाम् (vasudhām) - the earth

• अन्वपद्यः (anvapadyaḥ) - you descended (to the earth) (you descended, you obtained, you arrived)

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टक (aṣṭaka) - Aṣṭaka, the son of Viśvāmitra and Madhavī, to whom Yayāti recounts his story (Aṣṭaka)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭaka

aṣṭaka - Aṣṭaka (proper name)

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

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

3rd person singular Perfect active, from √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

यदा (yadā) - when (when, at which time)

(indeclinable)

अवसः (avasaḥ) - you resided (you dwelt, you resided)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of vas

Imperfect Active

2nd person singular Imperfect active, from √vas (class 1 or 6). This form can also be interpreted as Aorist 2nd singular.

Root: vas (class 1)

नन्दने (nandane) - in Nandana (the celestial garden of Indra) (in Nandana)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of nandana

nandana - a pleasure garden, joy, Indra's garden

कामरूपी (kāmarūpī) - capable of assuming any form at will (assuming any form at will, having desired form)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kāmarūpin

kāmarūpin - assuming any form at will, having a desired form

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (kāma+rūpin)

• kāma – desire, wish, love
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kam (class 1)
• rūpin – having form, endowed with form
  adjective (masculine)
  From rūpa + -inī pratyaya

Note: Used here to describe Yayāti (implied subject).

संवत्सराणाम् (saṁvatsarāṇām) - of years

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of saṃvatsara

saṁvatsara - year

अयुतम् (ayutam) - ten thousand

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ayuta

ayuta - ten thousand, myriad

Note: Used adverbially with śatānām, indicating 'a hundred times ten thousand'.

शतानाम् (śatānām) - of hundreds

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of śata

śata - hundred

Note: In combination with ayutam, it forms 'a hundred times ten thousand' or 'a million'.

किम् (kim) - what (what, why)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - reason (reason, cause)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument

Root: kṛ (class 8)

कार्तयुगप्रधान (kārtayugapradhāna) - O foremost among those of the Kṛta age (O foremost of the Kṛta age)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of kārtayugapradhāna

kārtayugapradhāna - foremost in the Kṛta age

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kārtayuga+pradhāna)

• kārtayuga – Kṛta age, golden age
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from Kṛta-yuga
• pradhāna – chief, principal, foremost
  adjective (masculine)

हित्वा (hitvā) - having abandoned (having abandoned, having left)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Absolutive form from √hā

Root: hā (class 3)

तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - that true/elevated state (of being in Nandana) (reality, truth, true state, principle)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - reality, truth, true state, essence, principle

Note: Refers to the heavenly state that Yayāti had.

वसुधाम् (vasudhām) - the earth

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of vasudhā

vasudhā - the earth, holding wealth

Compound type : upapada (vasu+dhā)

• vasu – wealth, gem, excellence
  noun (neuter)
• dhā – to place, to hold
  verb
  From √dhā, related to holding/bearing
  Root: dhā (class 3)

अन्वपद्यः (anvapadyaḥ) - you descended (to the earth) (you descended, you obtained, you arrived)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, aorist (luṅ) of anu-pad

Aorist Active

2nd person singular Aorist active, from √pad with prefix anu

Prefix: anu

Root: pad (class 4)