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?

1. אַשְׁתַקַה שאל, הו מלך, מי משניהם מגיע קודם לאחדות עם האלים, כששניהם רצים כמו השמש והירח?

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)

Next Verse