महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-148, verse-1

शौनक उवाच ।
तस्मात्तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्ममावृत्तचेतसे ।
श्रीमान्महाबलस्तुष्टो यस्त्वं धर्ममवेक्षसे ।
पुरस्ताद्दारुणो भूत्वा सुचित्रतरमेव तत् ॥१॥

1. śaunaka uvāca ,
tasmātte'haṁ pravakṣyāmi dharmamāvṛttacetase ,
śrīmānmahābalastuṣṭo yastvaṁ dharmamavekṣase ,
purastāddāruṇo bhūtvā sucitratarameva tat.

1. śaunakaḥ uvāca | tasmāt te aham pravakṣyāmi
dharmam āvṛtta-cetase | śrīmān mahābalaḥ
tuṣṭaḥ yaḥ tvam dharmam avekṣase |
purastāt dāruṇaḥ bhūtvā su-citra-taram eva tat

1. śaunakaḥ uvāca tasmāt aham āvṛtta-cetase
te dharmam pravakṣyāmi yaḥ tvam śrīmān
mahābalaḥ tuṣṭaḥ dharmam avekṣase purastāt
dāruṇaḥ bhūtvā tat eva su-citra-taram

1. Śaunaka said: "Therefore, I shall explain the natural law (dharma) to you, whose mind is attentive. For you, glorious and mighty, are satisfied and observe the natural law (dharma). That (natural law) which was formerly severe, is indeed even more wonderfully diverse."

Words meanings summery:

• शौनकः (śaunakaḥ) - The sage Śaunaka (Śaunaka)

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

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore (therefore, from that)

• ते (te) - to you (Janamejaya) (to you, for you)

• अहम् (aham) - I (Śaunaka) (I)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि (pravakṣyāmi) - I (Śaunaka) will explain (I will explain, I will declare)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - the natural law (dharma) (natural law, duty, righteousness)

• आवृत्त-चेतसे (āvṛtta-cetase) - to you, whose mind is attentive (to one whose mind is turned, to an attentive mind)

• श्रीमान् (śrīmān) - glorious (referring to Janamejaya) (glorious, fortunate, prosperous)

• महाबलः (mahābalaḥ) - mighty (referring to Janamejaya) (greatly powerful, mighty)

• तुष्टः (tuṣṭaḥ) - content (referring to Janamejaya) (satisfied, pleased, content)

• यः (yaḥ) - you who (who, which)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (Janamejaya) (you)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - the natural law (dharma) (natural law, duty, righteousness)

• अवेक्षसे (avekṣase) - you observe (dharma) (you behold, you observe)

• पुरस्तात् (purastāt) - formerly, in the past (formerly, previously, in front)

• दारुणः (dāruṇaḥ) - severe, harsh (referring to dharma's nature) (terrible, harsh, severe, cruel)

• भूत्वा (bhūtvā) - having been (severe) (having been, having become)

• सु-चित्र-तरम् (su-citra-taram) - even more wonderfully diverse (very wonderfully varied, more beautifully depicted)

• एव (eva) - indeed, even (indeed, certainly, only)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to dharma) (that, it)

Words meanings and morphology

शौनकः (śaunakaḥ) - The sage Śaunaka (Śaunaka)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śaunaka

śaunaka - name of a sage, son of Śunaka

उवाच (uvāca) - (Śaunaka) said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect active

root vac, class 2, perfect active, 3rd person singular

Root: vac (class 2)

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore (therefore, from that)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an adverb here, 'therefore'.

ते (te) - to you (Janamejaya) (to you, for you)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of tvam

yuṣmad - you

Note: Also can be genitive, but dative fits the verb `pravakṣyāmi`.

अहम् (aham) - I (Śaunaka) (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I

प्रवक्ष्यामि (pravakṣyāmi) - I (Śaunaka) will explain (I will explain, I will declare)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of vac

future active

root vac, class 2, future active, 1st person singular, with upasarga pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

धर्मम् (dharmam) - the natural law (dharma) (natural law, duty, righteousness)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

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

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

आवृत्त-चेतसे (āvṛtta-cetase) - to you, whose mind is attentive (to one whose mind is turned, to an attentive mind)

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, singular of āvṛtta-cetas

āvṛtta-cetas - one whose mind is turned/attentive

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (āvṛtta+cetas)

• āvṛtta – turned, covered, returned
  participle
  Past Passive Participle
  From root vṛt with upasarga ā-
  Prefix: ā
  Root: vṛt (class 1)
• cetas – mind, intellect, heart
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'you' (te).

श्रीमान् (śrīmān) - glorious (referring to Janamejaya) (glorious, fortunate, prosperous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīmat

śrīmat - glorious, splendid, prosperous, beautiful

possessive suffix -mat

Note: Qualifies 'you' (tvam).

महाबलः (mahābalaḥ) - mighty (referring to Janamejaya) (greatly powerful, mighty)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahābala

mahābala - great strength, mighty, very powerful

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahā+bala)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• bala – strength, power, force
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'you' (tvam).

तुष्टः (tuṣṭaḥ) - content (referring to Janamejaya) (satisfied, pleased, content)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tuṣṭa

tuṣṭa - satisfied, pleased, content

Past Passive Participle

From root tuṣ, class 4

Root: tuṣ (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'you' (tvam).

यः (yaḥ) - you who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Relative pronoun.

त्वम् (tvam) - you (Janamejaya) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

धर्मम् (dharmam) - the natural law (dharma) (natural law, duty, righteousness)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

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

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

अवेक्षसे (avekṣase) - you observe (dharma) (you behold, you observe)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of īkṣ

present middle

root īkṣ, class 1, present middle, 2nd person singular, with upasarga ava-

Prefix: ava

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

पुरस्तात् (purastāt) - formerly, in the past (formerly, previously, in front)

(indeclinable)

adverbial suffix -tāt

दारुणः (dāruṇaḥ) - severe, harsh (referring to dharma's nature) (terrible, harsh, severe, cruel)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dāruṇa

dāruṇa - terrible, harsh, severe, cruel, fierce

Note: Qualifies 'tat' (that - dharma).

भूत्वा (bhūtvā) - having been (severe) (having been, having become)

(indeclinable)

absolutive

root bhū, class 1, absolutive (gerund)

Root: bhū (class 1)

सु-चित्र-तरम् (su-citra-taram) - even more wonderfully diverse (very wonderfully varied, more beautifully depicted)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of su-citra-tara

su-citra-tara - more varied, more wonderful, more picturesque

comparative suffix -tara, with upasarga su- on citra

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+citra)

• su – good, well, very
  indeclinable
• citra – bright, clear, varied, wonderful, strange, pictured
  adjective (neuter)

Note: It functions as an adverb or predicate adjective here.

एव (eva) - indeed, even (indeed, certainly, only)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

तत् (tat) - that (referring to dharma) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

Note: Refers to 'dharmam' mentioned earlier.