महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-242, verse-1

शुक उवाच ।
यस्माद्धर्मात्परो धर्मो विद्यते नेह कश्चन ।
यो विशिष्टश्च धर्मेभ्यस्तं भवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥१॥

1. śuka uvāca ,
yasmāddharmātparo dharmo vidyate neha kaścana ,
yo viśiṣṭaśca dharmebhyastaṁ bhavānprabravītu me.

1. śukaḥ uvāca yasmāt dharmāt paraḥ dharmaḥ vidyate na iha
kaścana yaḥ viśiṣṭaḥ ca dharmebhyaḥ tam bhavān prabravītu me

1. śukaḥ uvāca yasmāt dharmāt paraḥ kaścana dharmaḥ iha na
vidyate yaḥ ca dharmebhyaḥ viśiṣṭaḥ tam bhavān me prabravītu

1. Śuka said: 'Please explain to me, venerable sir, that supreme natural law (dharma) than which no other natural law (dharma) exists here, and which is indeed superior to all other natural laws (dharma).'

Words meanings summery:

• शुकः (śukaḥ) - Sage Śuka (Śuka (name of a sage), parrot)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• यस्मात् (yasmāt) - than which (from which, than which)

• धर्मात् (dharmāt) - than natural law (dharma) (from natural law (dharma), than natural law (dharma))

• परः (paraḥ) - higher, supreme (higher, supreme, superior, other)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (natural law (dharma), intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness)

• विद्यते (vidyate) - exists (exists, is found)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

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

• कश्चन (kaścana) - any (dharma) (anyone, anything (with negation: no one, nothing))

• यः (yaḥ) - which (who, which)

• विशिष्टः (viśiṣṭaḥ) - superior, special (distinguished, special, superior, excellent)

• च (ca) - and, indeed (and, also)

• धर्मेभ्यः (dharmebhyaḥ) - than (other) natural laws (dharma) (from natural laws (dharma), than natural laws (dharma))

• तम् (tam) - that (dharma) (that, him)

• भवान् (bhavān) - your venerable self, you (your venerable self, you (polite))

• प्रब्रवीतु (prabravītu) - may you please explain/declare (may you declare, please tell)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

Words meanings and morphology

शुकः (śukaḥ) - Sage Śuka (Śuka (name of a sage), parrot)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śuka

śuka - Śuka (proper noun), parrot

Note: Speaker of the verse.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect tense

perfect tense, 3rd person singular of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

यस्मात् (yasmāt) - than which (from which, than which)

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what

Note: Introduces a comparison.

धर्मात् (dharmāt) - than natural law (dharma) (from natural law (dharma), than natural law (dharma))

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness, duty

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Compared to 'paraḥ dharmaḥ'.

परः (paraḥ) - higher, supreme (higher, supreme, superior, other)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of para

para - higher, supreme, ultimate, other

Note: Qualifies 'dharmaḥ'.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (natural law (dharma), intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness, duty

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'vidyate'.

विद्यते (vidyate) - exists (exists, is found)

(verb)

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

Root: vid (class 2)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation particle.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of place.

कश्चन (kaścana) - any (dharma) (anyone, anything (with negation: no one, nothing))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kaścana

kaścana - anyone, someone

compound of 'ka' (who) and 'cana' (emphatic particle)

यः (yaḥ) - which (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which

Note: Relative pronoun, refers to the 'dharma' requested.

विशिष्टः (viśiṣṭaḥ) - superior, special (distinguished, special, superior, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of viśiṣṭa

viśiṣṭa - distinguished, superior, excellent

Past Passive Participle

past passive participle of √śiṣ with prefix vi

Prefix: vi

Root: śiṣ (class 7)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'yaḥ'.

च (ca) - and, indeed (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

धर्मेभ्यः (dharmebhyaḥ) - than (other) natural laws (dharma) (from natural laws (dharma), than natural laws (dharma))

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, plural of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness, duty

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Object of comparison with 'viśiṣṭaḥ'.

तम् (tam) - that (dharma) (that, him)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, it, him

Note: Object of 'prabravītu'.

भवान् (bhavān) - your venerable self, you (your venerable self, you (polite))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - your venerable self, you (polite)

honorific pronoun, present participle of √bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'prabravītu', addressing Vyāsa respectfully.

प्रब्रवीतु (prabravītu) - may you please explain/declare (may you declare, please tell)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of brū

imperative

imperative 2nd person singular active of √brū with prefix pra

Prefix: pra

Root: brū (class 2)

Note: Expresses a request.

मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Enclitic form of dative singular.