महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-198, verse-3

सेयं गुणवती बुद्धिर्गुणेष्वेवाभिवर्तते ।
अवताराभिनिःस्रोतं गिरेः शृङ्गादिवोदकम् ॥३॥

3. seyaṁ guṇavatī buddhirguṇeṣvevābhivartate ,
avatārābhiniḥsrotaṁ gireḥ śṛṅgādivodakam.

3. sā iyam guṇavatī buddhiḥ guṇeṣu eva abhivartate
| avatārābhinisrotam gireḥ śṛṅgāt iva udakam

3. sā iyam guṇavatī buddhiḥ guṇeṣu eva abhivartate
(yathā) gireḥ śṛṅgāt avatārābhinisrotam udakam iva

3. Just as water, streaming forth, flows from a mountain peak, so this intellect (buddhi), endowed with qualities (guṇas), functions only within the realm of the qualities (guṇas).

Words meanings summery:

• सा (sā) - this (referring to buddhi) (she, that (feminine singular nominative))

• इयम् (iyam) - this (referring to buddhi), emphasizing proximity (this (feminine singular nominative))

• गुणवती (guṇavatī) - endowed with (natural) qualities (guṇas) (possessing qualities, virtuous, excellent)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the intellect (buddhi) (intellect, understanding, discernment, reason)

• गुणेषु (guṇeṣu) - only within the realm of the qualities (guṇas) (in the qualities, among the attributes, concerning the constituents of nature)

• एव (eva) - only, exclusively (only, just, indeed, precisely)

• अभिवर्तते (abhivartate) - functions, acts, is active (turns towards, functions, acts, manifests itself)

• अवताराभिनिस्रोतम् (avatārābhinisrotam) - streaming forth (as water from a source) (streaming forth, flowing down)

• गिरेः (gireḥ) - of a mountain (of the mountain, from the mountain)

• शृङ्गात् (śṛṅgāt) - from the peak (of the mountain) (from the peak, from the horn, from the summit)

• इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as it were)

• उदकम् (udakam) - water

Words meanings and morphology

सा (sā) - this (referring to buddhi) (she, that (feminine singular nominative))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun, feminine nominative singular

Note: Refers to buddhi.

इयम् (iyam) - this (referring to buddhi), emphasizing proximity (this (feminine singular nominative))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun, feminine nominative singular

Note: Refers to buddhi, often used with 'sā' for emphasis 'this very'.

गुणवती (guṇavatī) - endowed with (natural) qualities (guṇas) (possessing qualities, virtuous, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of guṇavat

guṇavat - possessing qualities, having attributes, virtuous, excellent

From guṇa (quality) + suffix -vat (possessive)

Note: Agrees with buddhiḥ.

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the intellect (buddhi) (intellect, understanding, discernment, reason)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, discernment, reason, perception

From root budh 'to wake, know, understand'

Root: budh (class 0)

Note: Subject of 'abhivartate'.

गुणेषु (guṇeṣu) - only within the realm of the qualities (guṇas) (in the qualities, among the attributes, concerning the constituents of nature)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, attribute, constituent of nature (sattva, rajas, tamas), strand, string

एव (eva) - only, exclusively (only, just, indeed, precisely)

(indeclinable)

अभिवर्तते (abhivartate) - functions, acts, is active (turns towards, functions, acts, manifests itself)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of vṛt

Present Indicative

From prefix abhi + root vṛt (class 1), atmanepada

Prefix: abhi

Root: vṛt (class 0)

अवताराभिनिस्रोतम् (avatārābhinisrotam) - streaming forth (as water from a source) (streaming forth, flowing down)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of avatārābhinisrota

avatārābhinisrota - flowing down, streaming forth (descriptive of water)

Compound of avatāra (descent) + abhinisrota (flowing forth).

Compound type : tatpurusha (avatāra+abhinisrota)

• avatāra – descent, incarnation, flowing down
  noun (masculine)
  From prefix ava + root tṛ 'to cross'
  Prefix: ava
  Root: tṛ (class 0)
• abhinisrota – flowing forth, streaming out
  adjective (neuter)
  From prefix abhi + nis + root sru 'to flow'
  Prefixes: abhi+nis
  Root: sru (class 0)

Note: Adverbial usage, describing how the water flows.

गिरेः (gireḥ) - of a mountain (of the mountain, from the mountain)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of giri

giri - mountain, hill

Note: Qualifies śṛṅgāt.

शृङ्गात् (śṛṅgāt) - from the peak (of the mountain) (from the peak, from the horn, from the summit)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of śṛṅga

śṛṅga - horn, peak, summit, top

Note: Source of flowing.

इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as it were)

(indeclinable)

उदकम् (udakam) - water

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of udaka

udaka - water

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'flows'.