महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-124, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
इमे जना नरश्रेष्ठ प्रशंसन्ति सदा भुवि ।
धर्मस्य शीलमेवादौ ततो मे संशयो महान् ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
ime janā naraśreṣṭha praśaṁsanti sadā bhuvi ,
dharmasya śīlamevādau tato me saṁśayo mahān.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca ime janāḥ naraśreṣṭha praśaṃsanti sadā
bhuvi dharmasya śīlam eva ādau tataḥ me saṃśayaḥ mahān

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca naraśreṣṭha ime janāḥ bhuvi sadā
dharmasya śīlam eva ādau praśaṃsanti tataḥ me mahān saṃśayaḥ

1. Yudhishthira said: "O best among men, these people on earth always praise primarily the conduct (in accordance with) natural law (dharma). From this, a great doubt has arisen in me."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

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

• इमे (ime) - these (these (masculine nominative plural))

• जनाः (janāḥ) - people (people, persons, creatures)

• नरश्रेष्ठ (naraśreṣṭha) - O best among men

• प्रशंसन्ति (praśaṁsanti) - they praise (they praise, they extol)

• सदा (sadā) - always (always, ever, constantly)

• भुवि (bhuvi) - on earth (on earth, in the world, on the ground)

• धर्मस्य (dharmasya) - of natural law (dharma) (of duty, of righteousness, of natural law (dharma))

• शीलम् (śīlam) - conduct (in accordance with) (character, conduct, nature, habit)

• एव (eva) - primarily, only (indeed, only, just)

• आदौ (ādau) - primarily, at first (at first, in the beginning, initially)

• ततः (tataḥ) - from this, therefore (therefore, thence, from that)

• मे (me) - my (my, to me, for me (enclitic pronoun))

• संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - doubt (doubt, uncertainty, hesitation)

• महान् (mahān) - great (great, large, important)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steadfast in battle, Yudhishthira (proper name of the eldest Pandava)

Compound: `yudhi` (in battle) + `sthira` (firm).

Compound type : aluk-tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of `yudh` (battle).
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)
  From root `sthā` (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of `uvāca`.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Perfect 3rd person singular, irregular form.

Root: vac (class 2)

इमे (ime) - these (these (masculine nominative plural))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of idam

idam - this, these (demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Qualifies `janāḥ`.

जनाः (janāḥ) - people (people, persons, creatures)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jana

jana - person, people, creature, man

From root `jan` (to be born).

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of `praśaṃsanti`.

नरश्रेष्ठ (naraśreṣṭha) - O best among men

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of naraśreṣṭha

naraśreṣṭha - best among men, chief of men

Compound: `nara` (man) + `śreṣṭha` (best).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nara+śreṣṭha)

• nara – man, human
  noun (masculine)
• śreṣṭha – best, most excellent, superior
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of `praśasya` (praiseworthy).

Note: Address to a specific person (likely Krishna or Bhishma, depending on context of discourse).

प्रशंसन्ति (praśaṁsanti) - they praise (they praise, they extol)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of praśaṃs

Present Active

Present indicative 3rd person plural. From `pra-√śaṃs` (to praise).

Prefix: pra

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

सदा (sadā) - always (always, ever, constantly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of time.

भुवि (bhuvi) - on earth (on earth, in the world, on the ground)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of bhū

bhū - earth, ground, place

धर्मस्य (dharmasya) - of natural law (dharma) (of duty, of righteousness, of natural law (dharma))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - duty, righteousness, law, virtue, justice, constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature (dharma)

From root `dhṛ` (to uphold, support).

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

शीलम् (śīlam) - conduct (in accordance with) (character, conduct, nature, habit)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śīla

śīla - character, conduct, habit, custom, nature, moral conduct

From root `śīl` (to practice, to serve).

Root: śīl (class 1)

Note: Object of `praśaṃsanti`.

एव (eva) - primarily, only (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

आदौ (ādau) - primarily, at first (at first, in the beginning, initially)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of ādi

ādi - beginning, commencement, first, etcetera

Note: Locative singular, used adverbially.

ततः (tataḥ) - from this, therefore (therefore, thence, from that)

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - my (my, to me, for me (enclitic pronoun))

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of mad

mad - I, me (first person pronoun)

Enclitic form of `aham` in genitive/dative.

Note: Possessive.

संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - doubt (doubt, uncertainty, hesitation)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of saṃśaya

saṁśaya - doubt, uncertainty, hesitation, risk

From `sam-√śī` (to doubt).

Prefix: sam

Root: śī (class 2)

Note: Subject of implied `asti`.

महान् (mahān) - great (great, large, important)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, mighty, important

Note: Qualifies `saṃśayaḥ`.