महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-190, verse-2

भीष्म उवाच ।
शृणुष्वावहितो राजञ्जापकानां गतिं विभो ।
यथा गच्छन्ति निरयमनेकं पुरुषर्षभ ॥२॥

2. bhīṣma uvāca ,
śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājañjāpakānāṁ gatiṁ vibho ,
yathā gacchanti nirayamanekaṁ puruṣarṣabha.

2. bhīṣma uvāca śṛṇuṣva avahitaḥ rājan jāpakānām gatim
vibho yathā gacchanti nirayam anekam puruṣarṣabha

2. bhīṣma uvāca rājan vibho puruṣarṣabha avahitaḥ śṛṇuṣva jāpakānām gatim yathā anekam nirayam gacchanti (iti).

2. Bhishma said: Listen attentively, O King, O mighty one, to the fate (gati) of those who chant, and how many different hells they reach, O best among men.

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma (name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• शृणुष्व (śṛṇuṣva) - listen!

• अवहितः (avahitaḥ) - attentive, careful, engrossed

• राजन् (rājan) - O Yudhisthira (O king)

• जापकानाम् (jāpakānām) - of the chanters, of the reciters

• गतिम् (gatim) - destination, state, course, fate

• विभो (vibho) - O Yudhisthira (O mighty one, O lord, O pervasive one)

• यथा (yathā) - how, as, just as

• गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - they go, they reach

• निरयम् (nirayam) - to hell, perdition

• अनेकम् (anekam) - many, various

• पुरुषर्षभ (puruṣarṣabha) - O Yudhisthira (O best of men)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma (name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a character in the Mahabharata, son of Shantanu and Ganga)

From root bhīṣ (to terrify), meaning 'terrible'

Root: bhīṣ (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active

3rd person singular perfect active of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

शृणुष्व (śṛṇuṣva) - listen!

(verb)

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

Imperative middle

2nd person singular imperative middle of śru

Root: śru (class 5)

अवहितः (avahitaḥ) - attentive, careful, engrossed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of avahita

avahita - attentive, careful, placed down, engrossed

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of ava-dhā (to pay attention, place down)

Prefix: ava

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with implied 'tvam' (you)

राजन् (rājan) - O Yudhisthira (O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

जापकानाम् (jāpakānām) - of the chanters, of the reciters

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of jāpaka

jāpaka - a chanter, reciter (of mantras)

From root jap (to mutter, whisper, chant)

Root: jap (class 1)

गतिम् (gatim) - destination, state, course, fate

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of gati

gati - movement, course, path, state, condition, destination, fate

From root gam (to go)

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Object of śṛṇuṣva

विभो (vibho) - O Yudhisthira (O mighty one, O lord, O pervasive one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vibhu

vibhu - mighty, powerful, pervasive, lord, master

From vi-bhū (to be mighty, pervasive)

Prefix: vi

Root: bhū (class 1)

यथा (yathā) - how, as, just as

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a clause explaining 'how'

गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - they go, they reach

(verb)

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

Present active

3rd person plural present active of gam

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Subject is implied 'they' (the chanters)

निरयम् (nirayam) - to hell, perdition

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of niraya

niraya - hell, perdition, deep abyss

From nis-ī (to go down)

Prefix: nis

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Object of gacchanti

अनेकम् (anekam) - many, various

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of aneka

aneka - not one, many, various

Compound: a (not) + eka (one)

Compound type : nañ tatpuruṣa (a+eka)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• eka – one, single
  numeral/adjective (masculine)

Note: Agrees with nirayam

पुरुषर्षभ (puruṣarṣabha) - O Yudhisthira (O best of men)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of puruṣarṣabha

puruṣarṣabha - bull among men, best of men

Compound: puruṣa (man) + ṛṣabha (bull, best)

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī tatpuruṣa (puruṣa+ṛṣabha)

• puruṣa – man, human being, person
  noun (masculine)
• ṛṣabha – bull, best, excellent
  noun (masculine)