महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-239, verse-18

यदूर्ध्वं पादतलयोरवाङ्मूर्ध्नश्च पश्यति ।
एतस्मिन्नेव कृत्ये वै वर्तते बुद्धिरुत्तमा ॥१८॥

18. yadūrdhvaṁ pādatalayoravāṅmūrdhnaśca paśyati ,
etasminneva kṛtye vai vartate buddhiruttamā.

18. yat ūrdhvam pāda-talayoḥ avāk mūrdhnaḥ ca paśyati
etasmin eva kṛtye vai vartate buddhiḥ uttamā

18. yat pāda-talayoḥ ūrdhvam,
mūrdhnaḥ ca avāk paśyati,
etasmin eva kṛtye vai uttamā buddhiḥ vartate.

18. The excellent intellect (buddhi) is truly engaged in this very task: it perceives what is above the soles of the feet and below the head.

Words meanings summery:

• यत् (yat) - what (it perceives) (which, what, that which)

• ऊर्ध्वम् (ūrdhvam) - what is above (upwards, above, elevated)

• पाद-तलयोः (pāda-talayoḥ) - of the soles of the feet (of the soles of the feet, between the soles of the feet)

• अवाक् (avāk) - what is below (downwards, below)

• मूर्ध्नः (mūrdhnaḥ) - of the head

• च (ca) - and

• पश्यति (paśyati) - sees, perceives, observes

• एतस्मिन् (etasmin) - in this (task) (in this)

• एव (eva) - very, indeed (only, just, indeed)

• कृत्ये (kṛtye) - in the action, in the duty, in the task

• वै (vai) - indeed, truly, certainly

• वर्तते (vartate) - is engaged in (exists, is, occurs, functions)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect, understanding, reason

• उत्तमा (uttamā) - excellent, best, highest

Words meanings and morphology

यत् (yat) - what (it perceives) (which, what, that which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that which, because

ऊर्ध्वम् (ūrdhvam) - what is above (upwards, above, elevated)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ūrdhva

ūrdhva - up, upwards, above, elevated, high

पाद-तलयोः (pāda-talayoḥ) - of the soles of the feet (of the soles of the feet, between the soles of the feet)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, dual of pādatala

pādatala - sole of the foot

Compound type : tatpurusha (pāda+tala)

• pāda – foot, leg, quarter
  noun (masculine)
• tala – sole, palm, surface, base
  noun (neuter)

Note: Or locative dual, but genitive is more fitting for 'above/below X'

अवाक् (avāk) - what is below (downwards, below)

(indeclinable)

मूर्ध्नः (mūrdhnaḥ) - of the head

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mūrdhan

mūrdhan - head, top, summit, forefront

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

पश्यति (paśyati) - sees, perceives, observes

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of paś

Present Indicative

Derived from root 'dṛś' (to see), but using the 'paśya' stem for present tense

Root: dṛś (class 1)

एतस्मिन् (etasmin) - in this (task) (in this)

(pronoun)

Locative, neuter, singular of etas

etas - this

एव (eva) - very, indeed (only, just, indeed)

(indeclinable)

कृत्ये (kṛtye) - in the action, in the duty, in the task

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of kṛtya

kṛtya - action, deed, duty, task, business

Gerundive

Derived from root 'kṛ' (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वै (vai) - indeed, truly, certainly

(indeclinable)

वर्तते (vartate) - is engaged in (exists, is, occurs, functions)

(verb)

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

Present Indicative

Derived from root 'vṛt'

Root: vṛt (class 1)

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect, understanding, reason

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, reason, perception, intelligence (buddhi)

Root: budh (class 1)

उत्तमा (uttamā) - excellent, best, highest

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of uttama

uttama - highest, best, excellent, principal, chief