महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-276, verse-57

पृच्छतस्ते मया तात श्रेय एतदुदाहृतम् ।
न हि शक्यं प्रधानेन श्रेयः संख्यातुमात्मनः ॥५७॥

57. pṛcchataste mayā tāta śreya etadudāhṛtam ,
na hi śakyaṁ pradhānena śreyaḥ saṁkhyātumātmanaḥ.

57. pṛcchataḥ te mayā tāta śreyaḥ etat udāhṛtam na
hi śakyam pradhānena śreyaḥ saṃkhyātum ātmanaḥ

57. tāta,
te pṛcchataḥ mayā etat śreyaḥ udāhṛtam.
pradhānena ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ saṃkhyātum na hi śakyam.

57. O dear one, I have explained this path to the supreme good (śreyas) to you who are asking. Indeed, it is not possible to fully comprehend the ultimate good (śreyas) of the self (ātman) through conventional means.

Words meanings summery:

• पृच्छतः (pṛcchataḥ) - of you who are asking (of one asking, of the inquirer)

• ते (te) - to you (to you, of you, for you)

• मया (mayā) - by me

• तात (tāta) - O dear one (term of endearment, often used by elder to younger or between equals) (O dear one, O son, O father)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the supreme good (good, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good)

• एतत् (etat) - this (path/concept of supreme good) (this, that)

• उदाहृतम् (udāhṛtam) - explained, declared, stated

• न (na) - not, no

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for)

• शक्यम् (śakyam) - possible (possible, capable)

• प्रधानेन (pradhānena) - through conventional/ordinary means (implying material perspective) (by the principal, by the chief, by primordial matter, by ordinary means)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the ultimate good (śreyas) (good, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good)

• संख्यातुम् (saṁkhyātum) - to fully comprehend (to count, to enumerate, to compute, to comprehend fully)

• आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of the self (ātman) (of the self, of the soul, of oneself)

Words meanings and morphology

पृच्छतः (pṛcchataḥ) - of you who are asking (of one asking, of the inquirer)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pṛcchat

pṛcchat - asking, inquiring, questioning

Present Active Participle

Derived from root √prach (class 6, to ask) with present active participle suffix -at.

Root: prach (class 6)

ते (te) - to you (to you, of you, for you)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of tvad

tvad - you (pronoun)

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me (pronoun)

तात (tāta) - O dear one (term of endearment, often used by elder to younger or between equals) (O dear one, O son, O father)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of tāta

tāta - father, dear one, son

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the supreme good (good, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - good, better, best, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good

Comparative form of 'śrī' or 'praśasta', meaning 'more excellent' or 'best', also used as a noun for 'supreme good'.

एतत् (etat) - this (path/concept of supreme good) (this, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etas

etas - this, that

उदाहृतम् (udāhṛtam) - explained, declared, stated

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of udāhṛta

udāhṛta - stated, declared, explained, quoted

Past Passive Participle

Derived from ud-ā-√hṛ (to bring forth, declare) with past passive participle suffix -ta.

Prefixes: ud+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for)

(indeclinable)

शक्यम् (śakyam) - possible (possible, capable)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śakya

śakya - possible, capable, practicable

Gerundive

Derived from root √śak (class 5, to be able) with gerundive suffix -ya.

Root: śak (class 5)

Note: Used impersonally here with the infinitive 'saṃkhyātum'.

प्रधानेन (pradhānena) - through conventional/ordinary means (implying material perspective) (by the principal, by the chief, by primordial matter, by ordinary means)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of pradhāna

pradhāna - chief, principal, main, primordial matter (Prakṛti), primary cause, predominant

From pra-√dhā (to place before, to offer).

Prefix: pra

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Can refer to 'primordial matter' in philosophical contexts, contrasting with ātman; here it signifies a limited, material, or conventional approach.

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the ultimate good (śreyas) (good, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - good, better, best, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good

Comparative form of 'śrī' or 'praśasta', meaning 'more excellent' or 'best', also used as a noun for 'supreme good'.

संख्यातुम् (saṁkhyātum) - to fully comprehend (to count, to enumerate, to compute, to comprehend fully)

(verb)

active, infinitive of saṃkhyā

Infinitive

Infinitive form of saṃ-√khyā (to enumerate, to tell).

Prefix: sam

Root: khyā (class 2)

आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of the self (ātman) (of the self, of the soul, of oneself)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, life-breath