महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-85, verse-12

अष्टक उवाच ।
अन्यद्वपुर्विदधातीह गर्भ उताहोस्वित्स्वेन कामेन याति ।
आपद्यमानो नरयोनिमेतामाचक्ष्व मे संशयात्प्रब्रवीमि ॥१२॥

12. aṣṭaka uvāca ,
anyadvapurvidadhātīha garbha; utāhosvitsvena kāmena yāti ,
āpadyamāno narayonimetā;mācakṣva me saṁśayātprabravīmi.

12. aṣṭakaḥ uvāca anyat vapuḥ vidadhāti
iha garbhaḥ uta aho svit svena
kāmena yāti āpadyamānaḥ nara-yonim
etām ācakṣva me saṃśayāt prabravīmi

12. Ashtaka said: Does the embryo (i.e., the individual self in the embryonic state) here create another body, or does it proceed by its own will when it enters this human womb? Please explain this to me, for I speak out of doubt.

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टकः (aṣṭakaḥ) - Ashtaka (the speaker) (Ashtaka)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• अन्यत् (anyat) - another (body) (another, other, different)

• वपुः (vapuḥ) - body (body, form, figure, beauty)

• विदधाति (vidadhāti) - creates, forms (makes, creates, forms, performs, ordains)

• इह (iha) - here (in this earthly existence) (here, in this world, now)

• गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo (referring to the individual self/soul within it) (embryo, fetus, womb, interior)

• उत (uta) - or (or, also, moreover)

• अहो (aho) - or else (introducing an alternative question) (oh, alas, indeed, or)

• स्वित् (svit) - perhaps, is it (interrogative particle) (perhaps, pray, is it?)

• स्वेन (svena) - by its own (by one's own, by its own)

• कामेन (kāmena) - by its own will/desire (by desire, by love, by wish)

• याति (yāti) - proceeds, goes (goes, moves, proceeds)

• आपद्यमानः (āpadyamānaḥ) - while entering (entering, obtaining, undergoing, experiencing)

• नर-योनिम् (nara-yonim) - human womb/birth (human womb, human birth, human origin)

• एताम् (etām) - this (human womb/birth) (this, that (feminine))

• आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - explain (to me) (tell, explain, relate)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, for me)

• संशयात् (saṁśayāt) - out of doubt (from doubt, on account of doubt)

• प्रब्रवीमि (prabravīmi) - I ask (literally, 'I speak forth' my question) (I speak forth, I declare, I explain)

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टकः (aṣṭakaḥ) - Ashtaka (the speaker) (Ashtaka)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭaka

aṣṭaka - Ashtaka (name of a king, son of Yayati and Śarmiṣṭhā)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Irregular perfect form from √vac.

अन्यत् (anyat) - another (body) (another, other, different)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anya

anya - other, another, different, distinct

Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

Note: Adjective modifying 'vapuḥ'.

वपुः (vapuḥ) - body (body, form, figure, beauty)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vapus

vapus - body, form, figure, shape, beauty

Note: Object of 'vidadhāti'.

विदधाति (vidadhāti) - creates, forms (makes, creates, forms, performs, ordains)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (Lat) of vidhā

Present 3rd singular of 'vi-√dhā'.

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)

इह (iha) - here (in this earthly existence) (here, in this world, now)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb.

गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo (referring to the individual self/soul within it) (embryo, fetus, womb, interior)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of garbha

garbha - embryo, fetus, womb, inside, the interior

Note: Subject of 'vidadhāti' and 'yāti'.

उत (uta) - or (or, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Particle introducing an alternative question.

अहो (aho) - or else (introducing an alternative question) (oh, alas, indeed, or)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative particle, often used with 'uta'.

स्वित् (svit) - perhaps, is it (interrogative particle) (perhaps, pray, is it?)

(indeclinable)

Used to express doubt or uncertainty in a question.

स्वेन (svena) - by its own (by one's own, by its own)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of sva

sva - one's own, self, own property

Instrumental singular.

Note: Adjective modifying 'kāmena'.

कामेन (kāmena) - by its own will/desire (by desire, by love, by wish)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, love, pleasure

Root: kam (class 1)

Note: Instrumental of agency.

याति (yāti) - proceeds, goes (goes, moves, proceeds)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (Lat) of yā

Present 3rd singular of '√yā'.

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Subject is 'garbhaḥ'.

आपद्यमानः (āpadyamānaḥ) - while entering (entering, obtaining, undergoing, experiencing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of āpadyamāna

āpadyamāna - entering, obtaining, experiencing, reaching

Present Middle Participle

Formed from 'ā-√pad'. Masculine nominative singular.

Prefix: ā

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Adjective modifying 'garbhaḥ' (implied subject).

नर-योनिम् (nara-yonim) - human womb/birth (human womb, human birth, human origin)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nara-yoni

nara-yoni - human womb, human origin, human species

Tatpurusha compound: 'nara' (human) + 'yoni' (womb, origin).

Compound type : Tatpurusha (nara+yoni)

• nara – man, human, male
  noun (masculine)
• yoni – womb, origin, source, place of birth
  noun (feminine)

Note: Object of 'āpadyamānaḥ'.

एताम् (etām) - this (human womb/birth) (this, that (feminine))

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, that

Feminine accusative singular of 'etad'.

Note: Adjective referring to 'nara-yonim'.

आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - explain (to me) (tell, explain, relate)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (Lot) of ācakṣ

Imperative 2nd singular of 'ā-√cakṣ'.

Prefix: ā

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

मे (me) - to me (to me, for me)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Enclitic pronominal form, dative or genitive singular.

Note: Dative object of 'ācakṣva'.

संशयात् (saṁśayāt) - out of doubt (from doubt, on account of doubt)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of saṃśaya

saṁśaya - doubt, uncertainty, suspicion

Ablative singular.

Note: Ablative of cause.

प्रब्रवीमि (prabravīmi) - I ask (literally, 'I speak forth' my question) (I speak forth, I declare, I explain)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (Lat) of prabru

Present 1st singular of 'pra-√bru'.

Prefix: pra

Root: bru (class 2)

Note: The speaker Ashtaka is making the statement/question.