महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-176, verse-5

भरद्वाज उवाच ।
कथं सलिलमुत्पन्नं कथं चैवाग्निमारुतौ ।
कथं च मेदिनी सृष्टेत्यत्र मे संशयो महान् ॥५॥

5. bharadvāja uvāca ,
kathaṁ salilamutpannaṁ kathaṁ caivāgnimārutau ,
kathaṁ ca medinī sṛṣṭetyatra me saṁśayo mahān.

5. bharadvājaḥ uvāca katham salilam utpannam katham ca eva
agnimārutau katham ca medinī sṛṣṭā iti atra me saṁśayaḥ mahān

5. bharadvājaḥ uvāca katham salilam utpannam ca katham eva
agnimārutau ca katham medinī sṛṣṭā iti atra me mahān saṁśayaḥ

5. Bharadvāja said: 'How was water produced? And how, indeed, were fire and wind (agnimārutau) created? And how was the earth (medinī) brought into existence? Regarding this, I have a great doubt.'

Words meanings summery:

• भरद्वाजः (bharadvājaḥ) - Bharadvāja (a sage's name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• सलिलम् (salilam) - water

• उत्पन्नम् (utpannam) - produced, arisen, created

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• च (ca) - and, also

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• अग्निमारुतौ (agnimārutau) - fire and wind

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• च (ca) - and, also

• मेदिनी (medinī) - the earth, ground

• सृष्टा (sṛṣṭā) - created, brought forth

• इति (iti) - thus, so, marking direct speech

• अत्र (atra) - here, in this matter, in this regard

• मे (me) - my, to me

• संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - doubt, uncertainty

• महान् (mahān) - great, large, extensive

Words meanings and morphology

भरद्वाजः (bharadvājaḥ) - Bharadvāja (a sage's name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bharadvāja

bharadvāja - name of a celebrated ancient sage, one of the seven ṛṣis

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (Lit) of √vac

Perfect Active

Reduplicated perfect, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

सलिलम् (salilam) - water

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of salila

salila - water, ocean

Note: Appears here as the subject of an implied passive verb.

उत्पन्नम् (utpannam) - produced, arisen, created

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of utpanna

utpanna - produced, born, arisen, created, happened

Past Passive Participle

from ut-√pad (to arise, be produced) + -ta (ppp suffix)

Prefix: ut

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: It functions here as a predicate adjective with an implied 'was/is'.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

अग्निमारुतौ (agnimārutau) - fire and wind

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of agnimāruta

agnimāruta - fire and wind (as a pair)

Dvandva compound

Compound type : dvandva (agni+māruta)

• agni – fire, god of fire
  noun (masculine)
• māruta – wind, air, god of wind
  noun (masculine)

Note: The dual ending indicates 'fire and wind' as a pair.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

मेदिनी (medinī) - the earth, ground

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of medinī

medinī - the earth, ground, soil

Note: Subject of an implied passive verb.

सृष्टा (sṛṣṭā) - created, brought forth

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sṛṣṭa

sṛṣṭa - created, produced, manifested, formed

Past Passive Participle

from √sṛj (to create, emit) + -ta (ppp suffix)

Root: sṛj (class 6)

Note: Functions as a predicate adjective with an implied 'was/is'.

इति (iti) - thus, so, marking direct speech

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the end of the question.

अत्र (atra) - here, in this matter, in this regard

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - my, to me

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Here acts as possessive ('my doubt').

संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - doubt, uncertainty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of saṁśaya

saṁśaya - doubt, uncertainty, hesitation, suspicion

from sam-√śī (to doubt)

Prefix: sam

Root: śī (class 2)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

महान् (mahān) - great, large, extensive

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, vast, mighty, important

Note: Modifies `saṁśayaḥ`.