महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-87, verse-1

अष्टक उवाच ।
कतरस्त्वेतयोः पूर्वं देवानामेति सात्म्यताम् ।
उभयोर्धावतो राजन्सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरिव ॥१॥

1. aṣṭaka uvāca ,
katarastvetayoḥ pūrvaṁ devānāmeti sātmyatām ,
ubhayordhāvato rājansūryācandramasoriva.

1. aṣṭakaḥ uvāca kataraḥ tu etayoḥ pūrvam devānām eti
sātmyatām ubhayoḥ dhāvataḥ rājan sūryacandramasoḥ iva

1. Aṣṭaka said: O King, of these two, which one first attains identity with the gods, like the sun and moon that always run?

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टकः (aṣṭakaḥ) - Aṣṭaka (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कतरः (kataraḥ) - which of two, which one

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, on the other hand

• एतयोः (etayoḥ) - of these two

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - first, before, earlier

• देवानाम् (devānām) - of the gods, among the gods

• एति (eti) - goes, reaches, attains

• सात्म्यताम् (sātmyatām) - identity, conformity, sameness

• उभयोः (ubhayoḥ) - of both

• धावतः (dhāvataḥ) - of the running ones

• राजन् (rājan) - O King

• सूर्यचन्द्रमसोः (sūryacandramasoḥ) - of the sun and moon

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टकः (aṣṭakaḥ) - Aṣṭaka (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭaka

aṣṭaka - Aṣṭaka (proper name), a group of eight, octad

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

कतरः (kataraḥ) - which of two, which one

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of katara

katara - which of two, which one, either

तु (tu) - but, indeed, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

एतयोः (etayoḥ) - of these two

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, dual of etad

etad - this, this one

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - first, before, earlier

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially as 'first'.

देवानाम् (devānām) - of the gods, among the gods

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine being, celestial being

एति (eti) - goes, reaches, attains

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of i

Root: i (class 2)

सात्म्यताम् (sātmyatām) - identity, conformity, sameness

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of sātmyatā

sātmyatā - identity, conformity, sameness, familiarity, habituation

Derived from sātmya (identity, sameness)

उभयोः (ubhayoḥ) - of both

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, dual of ubhaya

ubhaya - both, of two kinds

धावतः (dhāvataḥ) - of the running ones

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, dual of dhāvat

dhāvat - running, moving quickly

Present Active Participle

Derived from root dhāv (to run) + śatṛ suffix

Root: dhāv (class 1)

राजन् (rājan) - O King

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, sovereign

सूर्यचन्द्रमसोः (sūryacandramasoḥ) - of the sun and moon

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, dual of sūryacandramas

sūryacandramas - sun and moon

Compound type : Dvandva (sūrya+candramas)

• sūrya – sun, the sun-god
  noun (masculine)
• candramas – moon, the moon-god
  noun (masculine)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)