महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-259, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
कथं राजा प्रजा रक्षेन्न च किंचित्प्रतापयेत् ।
पृच्छामि त्वां सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kathaṁ rājā prajā rakṣenna ca kiṁcitpratāpayet ,
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ satāṁ śreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kathaṃ rājā prajāḥ rakṣet na ca kiṃcit
pratāpayet pṛcchāmi tvāṃ satāṃ śreṣṭha tat me brūhi pitāmaha

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca pitāmaha satāṃ śreṣṭha kathaṃ rājā prajāḥ
rakṣet ca kiṃcit na pratāpayet tvāṃ tat me brūhi pṛcchāmi

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'How should a king protect his subjects and not cause suffering to anyone? O best among the virtuous, I ask you this; please tell it to me, O grandfather.'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - King Yudhiṣṭhira, the eldest of the Pāṇḍavas (Yudhiṣṭhira (proper noun))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner)

• राजा (rājā) - a king (king, ruler)

• प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - his subjects (subjects, progeny, people)

• रक्षेत् (rakṣet) - should protect (should protect, should guard)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• किंचित् (kiṁcit) - anyone (referring to subjects) (something, anything, someone, anyone)

• प्रतापयेत् (pratāpayet) - should oppress, should cause suffering (should cause to suffer, should oppress, should torment)

• पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi) - I ask (you) (I ask, I inquire)

• त्वां (tvāṁ) - you (Bhīṣma) (you (accusative))

• सतां (satāṁ) - of the virtuous ones (of the good, of the virtuous, of the existent)

• श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - O best one (best, most excellent, foremost)

• तत् (tat) - that (matter, i.e., how a king should protect) (that, this)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, for me (dative/genitive))

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell (me) (tell, speak)

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (Bhīṣma) (O grandfather, O great father)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - King Yudhiṣṭhira, the eldest of the Pāṇḍavas (Yudhiṣṭhira (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (steadfast in battle)

Compound 'yudhi' (in battle, locative of yudh) + 'sthira' (firm, steady)

Compound type : Aluk Tatpuruṣa (yudh+sthira)

• yudh – battle, fight
  noun (feminine)
  Root: √yudh (class 4)
• sthira – firm, steady, constant
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  From root √sthā (to stand)
  Root: √sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (Lit) of uvāca

Perfect Active

From root √vac (to speak). 3rd person singular perfect active.

Root: √vac (class 2)

Note: Used to introduce direct speech.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form of interrogative pronoun kim

राजा (rājā) - a king (king, ruler)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, sovereign

From root √rāj (to shine, to rule)

Root: √rāj (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'rakṣet' and 'pratāpayet'.

प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - his subjects (subjects, progeny, people)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of prajā

prajā - progeny, offspring, people, subjects

From prefix pra + root √jan (to be born)

Prefix: pra

Root: √jan (class 4)

Note: Object of 'rakṣet'.

रक्षेत् (rakṣet) - should protect (should protect, should guard)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (Vidhi-liṅ) of rakṣ

Optative Active

From root √rakṣ (to protect). 3rd person singular optative active.

Root: √rakṣ (class 1)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

Note: Negates 'pratāpayet'.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

Note: Connects the two clauses.

किंचित् (kiṁcit) - anyone (referring to subjects) (something, anything, someone, anyone)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kiṃcit

kiṁcit - something, anything, someone, anyone, a little

From interrogative kim + indefinite cit

Note: Object of 'pratāpayet'.

प्रतापयेत् (pratāpayet) - should oppress, should cause suffering (should cause to suffer, should oppress, should torment)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (Vidhi-liṅ) of pratāpayet

Optative Active (Causative)

From prefix pra + root √tap (to heat, to burn) in the causative stem `tāpay` (to cause to burn/suffer). 3rd person singular optative active.

Prefix: pra

Root: √tap (class 1)

Note: Causative verb.

पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi) - I ask (you) (I ask, I inquire)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (Laṭ) of pṛcch

Present Active

From root √prach (to ask). 1st person singular present active.

Root: √prach (class 6)

Note: The speaker is Yudhiṣṭhira.

त्वां (tvāṁ) - you (Bhīṣma) (you (accusative))

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

2nd person pronoun.

Note: Object of 'pṛcchāmi'.

सतां (satāṁ) - of the virtuous ones (of the good, of the virtuous, of the existent)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - being, existent, good, virtuous

Present Active Participle

From root √as (to be) + suffix -at.

Root: √as (class 2)

Note: Modifies 'śreṣṭha', meaning 'best among the good'.

श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - O best one (best, most excellent, foremost)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, most excellent, superior, foremost

Superlative of praśasya (excellent)

Note: Addresses Bhīṣma.

तत् (tat) - that (matter, i.e., how a king should protect) (that, this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to the question asked.

मे (me) - to me (to me, for me (dative/genitive))

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

1st person pronoun.

Note: Indirect object of 'brūhi'.

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell (me) (tell, speak)

(verb)

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

Imperative Active

From root √brū (to speak). 2nd person singular imperative active.

Root: √brū (class 2)

Note: The implied subject is 'you' (Bhīṣma).

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (Bhīṣma) (O grandfather, O great father)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - grandfather, great father, Brahmā

Compound pitṛ (father) + mahat (great)

Note: Addresses Bhīṣma.