महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-109, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
महानयं धर्मपथो बहुशाखश्च भारत ।
किं स्विदेवेह धर्माणामनुष्ठेयतमं मतम् ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
mahānayaṁ dharmapatho bahuśākhaśca bhārata ,
kiṁ svideveha dharmāṇāmanuṣṭheyatamaṁ matam.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca mahān ayam dharmapathaḥ bahuśākhaḥ ca
bhārata kim svid eva iha dharmāṇām anuṣṭheyatamam matam

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: bhārata,
ayam mahān ca bahuśākhaḥ dharmapathaḥ.
iha dharmāṇām kim svid eva anuṣṭheyatamam matam?

1. Yudhishthira said: 'This path of righteousness (dharma) is indeed vast and many-branched, O Bharata. What, then, among all the various principles (dharma), is considered the most important to be followed in this world?'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said

• महान् (mahān) - great, vast, important

• अयम् (ayam) - this

• धर्मपथः (dharmapathaḥ) - path of natural law (dharma) (path of righteousness, path of natural law)

• बहुशाखः (bahuśākhaḥ) - many-branched, complex

• च (ca) - and

• भारत (bhārata) - O Bharata (common address in Mahabharata) (O descendant of Bharata)

• किम् (kim) - what, which

• स्विद् (svid) - indeed, pray, I wonder

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

• इह (iha) - here, in this world/matter

• धर्माणाम् (dharmāṇām) - of the various principles (dharma) (of the natural laws (dharma), of duties, of principles)

• अनुष्ठेयतमम् (anuṣṭheyatamam) - the most to be practiced, most important to be followed

• मतम् (matam) - considered, thought, opined

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (the eldest Pandava brother, 'steady in battle')

From 'yudhi' (in battle, locative of 'yudh') + 'sthira' (steady).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (yudh+sthira)

• yudh – battle, fight, war
  noun (feminine)
  Root: yudh (class 4)
• sthira – firm, steady, constant, immovable
  adjective (masculine)
  From root sthā (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, Active voice, 3rd person, singular

Irregular perfect tense form (Lit) of 'vac'.

Root: vac (class 2)

महान् (mahān) - great, vast, important

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, mighty, important, noble

Present active participle of 'mah' (to be great)

P.A.P.

Root: mah (class 1)

अयम् (ayam) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, here

Nominative singular masculine of 'idam'.

Note: Agrees with 'dharmapathaḥ'.

धर्मपथः (dharmapathaḥ) - path of natural law (dharma) (path of righteousness, path of natural law)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmapatha

dharmapatha - path of dharma, path of duty, path of righteousness

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+patha)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, law
  noun (masculine)
  From root dhṛ (to uphold).
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• patha – path, road, way
  noun (masculine)
  A form of panthan.

Note: Subject of the first clause.

बहुशाखः (bahuśākhaḥ) - many-branched, complex

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bahuśākha

bahuśākha - many-branched, having many branches, complex

Compound type : bahuvrihi (bahu+śākha)

• bahu – many, much, numerous
  adjective (masculine)
• śākha – branch, division
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'dharmapathaḥ'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

भारत (bhārata) - O Bharata (common address in Mahabharata) (O descendant of Bharata)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhārata

bhārata - descendant of Bharata, relating to Bharata, an Indian

From 'bharata' + 'aṇ' (patronymic suffix).

Note: Addressee.

किम् (kim) - what, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why, how

Interrogative pronoun/adjective.

Note: Subject of the question.

स्विद् (svid) - indeed, pray, I wonder

(indeclinable)

Interrogative/emphatic particle.

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

इह (iha) - here, in this world/matter

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place or context.

धर्माणाम् (dharmāṇām) - of the various principles (dharma) (of the natural laws (dharma), of duties, of principles)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, law

From root dhṛ (to uphold).

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Partitive genitive, 'among the dharmas'.

अनुष्ठेयतमम् (anuṣṭheyatamam) - the most to be practiced, most important to be followed

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anuṣṭheyatama

anuṣṭheyatama - most to be performed, most to be observed, most excellent duty

Superlative of a gerundive

From 'anu' + 'sthā' (to stand, perform) + 'eṇīya' (gerundive suffix) + 'tama' (superlative suffix).

Prefix: anu

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'kim'.

मतम् (matam) - considered, thought, opined

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mata

mata - considered, thought, esteemed, opinion, doctrine

Past Passive Participle

From root 'man' (to think, believe) + 'ta' (PPP suffix).

Root: man (class 4)