महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-261, verse-38

स्यूमरश्मिरुवाच ।
स्यूमरश्मिरहं ब्रह्मञ्जिज्ञासार्थमिहागतः ।
श्रेयस्कामः प्रत्यवोचमार्जवान्न विवक्षया ।
इमं च संशयं घोरं भगवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥३८॥

38. syūmaraśmiruvāca ,
syūmaraśmirahaṁ brahmañjijñāsārthamihāgataḥ ,
śreyaskāmaḥ pratyavocamārjavānna vivakṣayā ,
imaṁ ca saṁśayaṁ ghoraṁ bhagavānprabravītu me.

38. syūmaraśmiḥ uvāca | syūmaraśmiḥ aham brahman
jijñāsā artham iha āgataḥ | śreyaḥ
kāmaḥ pratyavocam ārjavāt na vivakṣayā | imam
ca saṃśayam ghoram bhagavān prabravītu me

38. syūmaraśmiḥ uvāca aham syūmaraśmiḥ brahman
jijñāsā artham iha āgataḥ śreyaḥ kāmaḥ
ārjavāt na vivakṣayā pratyavocam bhagavān
ca imam ghoram saṃśayam me prabravītu

38. Syūmaraśmi said: "O Brahmana, I am Syūmaraśmi, and I have come here for the purpose of inquiry. Desiring ultimate good, I have spoken sincerely, not with any intention to argue. May the revered one please explain this grave doubt to me."

Words meanings summery:

• स्यूमरश्मिः (syūmaraśmiḥ) - The speaker, Syūmaraśmi (Syūmaraśmi (proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - Syūmaraśmi said (said, spoke)

• स्यूमरश्मिः (syūmaraśmiḥ) - The speaker, Syūmaraśmi (Syūmaraśmi (proper name))

• अहम् (aham) - The speaker, Syūmaraśmi (I)

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - Addressing the interlocutor, presumably a Brahmana (O Brahmana, O revered one)

• जिज्ञासा (jijñāsā) - inquiry (about a specific doubt) (desire to know, inquiry)

• अर्थम् (artham) - for the purpose of inquiry (for the sake of, purpose)

• इह (iha) - here (in this place, at this gathering) (here, in this world)

• आगतः (āgataḥ) - (I) have come (arrived, come)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - ultimate good (better, more excellent, beneficial, ultimate good)

• कामः (kāmaḥ) - desiring (as part of a compound meaning 'desirous of śreyas') (desire, wish, love)

• प्रत्यवोचम् (pratyavocam) - I spoke (in response) (I replied, I spoke back)

• आर्जवात् (ārjavāt) - sincerely, truthfully (from uprightness, sincerely, honestly)

• न (na) - not

• विवक्षया (vivakṣayā) - with an intention to argue (with a desire to speak, with an intention to argue)

• इमम् (imam) - this (this (masculine accusative singular))

• च (ca) - and

• संशयम् (saṁśayam) - this doubt (doubt, uncertainty)

• घोरम् (ghoram) - grave, terrible (terrible, dreadful, grave)

• भगवान् (bhagavān) - the revered one (addressing the teacher) (revered one, divine one, Lord)

• प्रब्रवीतु (prabravītu) - may he please explain (may he explain, let him declare)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, for me)

Words meanings and morphology

स्यूमरश्मिः (syūmaraśmiḥ) - The speaker, Syūmaraśmi (Syūmaraśmi (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of syūmaraśmi

syūmaraśmi - Syūmaraśmi (a proper name, lit. 'sun-rayed')

Compound type : bahuvrihi (syūman+raśmi)

• syūman – ray; sun
  noun (masculine)
• raśmi – ray, cord, bridle
  noun (masculine)

उवाच (uvāca) - Syūmaraśmi said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, third person singular of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Irregular perfect formation for 'vac'.

स्यूमरश्मिः (syūmaraśmiḥ) - The speaker, Syūmaraśmi (Syūmaraśmi (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of syūmaraśmi

syūmaraśmi - Syūmaraśmi (a proper name, lit. 'sun-rayed')

Compound type : bahuvrihi (syūman+raśmi)

• syūman – ray; sun
  noun (masculine)
• raśmi – ray, cord, bridle
  noun (masculine)

अहम् (aham) - The speaker, Syūmaraśmi (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - Addressing the interlocutor, presumably a Brahmana (O Brahmana, O revered one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmana (member of the priestly class), one who knows Brahman; a revered person

Note: Used in direct address.

जिज्ञासा (jijñāsā) - inquiry (about a specific doubt) (desire to know, inquiry)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of jijñāsā

jijñāsā - desire to know, inquiry

Desiderative noun

Derived from desiderative stem of root jñā (to know) + ā (feminine suffix)

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Part of a compound 'jijñāsārtham' in the original, here separated.

अर्थम् (artham) - for the purpose of inquiry (for the sake of, purpose)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - purpose, object, meaning, wealth

Note: Used adverbially to denote purpose, completing 'jijñāsā artham'.

इह (iha) - here (in this place, at this gathering) (here, in this world)

(indeclinable)

आगतः (āgataḥ) - (I) have come (arrived, come)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of āgata

āgata - come, arrived

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root gam (to go) with prefix ā- (towards) +kta suffix.

Prefix: ā

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Agreement with 'aham' (masculine gender implied for Syūmaraśmi).

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - ultimate good (better, more excellent, beneficial, ultimate good)

(noun)

neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, best, more excellent, good, ultimate good

Comparative/superlative of śrī (prosperity, beauty)

Note: This is the first part of the compound 'śreyaskāmaḥ'.

कामः (kāmaḥ) - desiring (as part of a compound meaning 'desirous of śreyas') (desire, wish, love)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, love

Root: kam (class 1)

Note: Second part of the compound 'śreyaskāmaḥ', functioning as an adjective.

प्रत्यवोचम् (pratyavocam) - I spoke (in response) (I replied, I spoke back)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, aorist (luṅ) of prativac

Aorist, first person singular of root 'vac' with prefix 'prati'.

Prefix: prati

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: The 'a' prefix for aorist is replaced by the prefix 'prati'.

आर्जवात् (ārjavāt) - sincerely, truthfully (from uprightness, sincerely, honestly)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of ārjava

ārjava - straightness, uprightness, sincerity, honesty

Derived from ṛju (straight) + aṇ suffix.

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'sincerely'.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

विवक्षया (vivakṣayā) - with an intention to argue (with a desire to speak, with an intention to argue)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of vivakṣā

vivakṣā - desire to speak, intention to speak/explain/argue

Desiderative noun

Derived from desiderative stem of root vac (to speak) + ā (feminine suffix).

Prefix: vi

Root: vac (class 2)

इमम् (imam) - this (this (masculine accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Refers to 'saṃśayam'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

संशयम् (saṁśayam) - this doubt (doubt, uncertainty)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of saṃśaya

saṁśaya - doubt, uncertainty

From root śī (to lie, to doubt) with prefix sam-.

Prefix: sam

Root: śī (class 2)

Note: Object of 'prabravītu'.

घोरम् (ghoram) - grave, terrible (terrible, dreadful, grave)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ghora

ghora - terrible, dreadful, fearful, grave

Note: Modifies 'saṃśayam'.

भगवान् (bhagavān) - the revered one (addressing the teacher) (revered one, divine one, Lord)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - fortunate, prosperous, venerable, divine, Lord

Possessive adjective from bhaga (fortune) + matup suffix.

Note: Subject of 'prabravītu'.

प्रब्रवीतु (prabravītu) - may he please explain (may he explain, let him declare)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of prabru

Imperative mood, third person singular of root 'bru' with prefix 'pra'.

Prefix: pra

Root: bru (class 2)

Note: The root 'bru' (to speak) is often conjugated as 'bravīti' in present tense.

मे (me) - to me (to me, for me)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Can also be genitive. Here, 'to me' for explaining.