महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-173, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
बान्धवाः कर्म वित्तं वा प्रज्ञा वेह पितामह ।
नरस्य का प्रतिष्ठा स्यादेतत्पृष्टो वदस्व मे ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
bāndhavāḥ karma vittaṁ vā prajñā veha pitāmaha ,
narasya kā pratiṣṭhā syādetatpṛṣṭo vadasva me.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca bāndhavāḥ karma vittam vā prajñā vā iha
pitāmaha narasya kā pratiṣṭhā syāt etat pṛṣṭaḥ vadasva me

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca pitāmaha iha narasya bāndhavāḥ karma
vittam vā prajñā kā pratiṣṭhā syāt etat pṛṣṭaḥ me vadasva

1. Yudhishthira said: O Grandfather, what constitutes a man's standing (pratiṣṭhā) in this world—his relatives, his actions (karma), his wealth, or his wisdom (prajñā)? Please tell me this, as I ask you.

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• बान्धवाः (bāndhavāḥ) - relatives, kinsmen, friends

• कर्म (karma) - human action or deed as a factor for one's standing (action, deed, work, fate, spiritual action (karma))

• वित्तम् (vittam) - wealth, property, possession

• वा (vā) - or, either...or

• प्रज्ञा (prajñā) - wisdom, intelligence, discernment (prajñā)

• वा (vā) - or, either...or

• इह (iha) - in this world (here, in this world, in this case)

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - Addressing Bhishma, Yudhishthira's grandfather (O Grandfather)

• नरस्य (narasya) - of a man, of a person

• का (kā) - what, which (feminine singular)

• प्रतिष्ठा (pratiṣṭhā) - a man's standing or prestige in society (standing, position, reputation, foundation, support)

• स्यात् (syāt) - may be, would be, should be

• एतत् (etat) - referring to the question just asked (this (neuter singular))

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - I, having asked this (asked, interrogated (masculine singular))

• वदस्व (vadasva) - tell, speak, say (imperative 2nd person singular)

• मे (me) - to me, for me (dative/genitive singular)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (name of the eldest Pandava brother, firm in battle)

Compound 'yudhi-sthira', one who is firm in battle

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (lit) of uvāca

Perfect Tense

Perfect 3rd person singular of root vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

बान्धवाः (bāndhavāḥ) - relatives, kinsmen, friends

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bāndhava

bāndhava - relative, kinsman, friend, connection

From 'bandhu' (relative)

कर्म (karma) - human action or deed as a factor for one's standing (action, deed, work, fate, spiritual action (karma))

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, ritual, fate, consequence of actions (karma)

From root kṛ (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वित्तम् (vittam) - wealth, property, possession

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vitta

vitta - found, acquired, known, understood; (as noun) wealth, property, possession

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root vid (to find, to obtain)

Root: vid (class 6)

वा (vā) - or, either...or

(indeclinable)

प्रज्ञा (prajñā) - wisdom, intelligence, discernment (prajñā)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prajñā

prajñā - wisdom, intelligence, discernment, understanding, knowledge (prajñā)

From root jñā (to know) with prefix pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: jñā (class 9)

वा (vā) - or, either...or

(indeclinable)

Note: Original word was 'veh' due to sandhi with 'iha'

इह (iha) - in this world (here, in this world, in this case)

(indeclinable)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - Addressing Bhishma, Yudhishthira's grandfather (O Grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather; a great father; an epithet of Brahma

नरस्य (narasya) - of a man, of a person

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, human being

का (kā) - what, which (feminine singular)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ka

ka - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun)

प्रतिष्ठा (pratiṣṭhā) - a man's standing or prestige in society (standing, position, reputation, foundation, support)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pratiṣṭhā

pratiṣṭhā - standing, position, foundation, basis, support, prestige, fame, celebrity

From root sthā (to stand) with prefix prati-

Prefix: prati

Root: sthā (class 1)

स्यात् (syāt) - may be, would be, should be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of syāt

Optative Mood

Optative 3rd person singular of root as (to be)

Root: as (class 2)

एतत् (etat) - referring to the question just asked (this (neuter singular))

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - I, having asked this (asked, interrogated (masculine singular))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pṛṣṭa

pṛṣṭa - asked, questioned, interrogated

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root praś (to ask)

Root: praś (class 6)

वदस्व (vadasva) - tell, speak, say (imperative 2nd person singular)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of vad

Imperative Mood

Imperative 2nd person singular, Ātmanepada (though root is Parasmaipada, 'sva' ending can imply Ātmanepada for certain contexts, or it's a specific Vedic form, here used in Epic Sanskrit)

Root: vad (class 1)

मे (me) - to me, for me (dative/genitive singular)

(pronoun)

singular of mad

mad - I, me (pronoun)