महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-277, verse-2

भीष्म उवाच ।
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम् ।
अरिष्टनेमिना प्रोक्तं सगरायानुपृच्छते ॥२॥

2. bhīṣma uvāca ,
atra te vartayiṣyāmi itihāsaṁ purātanam ,
ariṣṭaneminā proktaṁ sagarāyānupṛcchate.

2. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca atra te vartayiṣyāmi itihāsam
purātanam ariṣṭaneminā proktam sagarāya anupṛcchate

2. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca: atra te purātanam itihāsam vartayiṣyāmi,
(yat) ariṣṭaneminā anupṛcchate sagarāya proktam (āsīt).

2. Bhīṣma said: 'Regarding this, I will relate to you an ancient narrative (itihāsa), which was told by Ariṣṭanemi to Sagara, who was asking for clarification.'

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma (a proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• अत्र (atra) - regarding this (topic) (here, in this matter, regarding this)

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

• वर्तयिष्यामि (vartayiṣyāmi) - I will relate (a narrative) (I shall relate, I shall narrate, I shall cause to proceed)

• इतिहासम् (itihāsam) - an ancient narrative (itihāsa) (narrative, history, legend)

• पुरातनम् (purātanam) - ancient, old, former

• अरिष्टनेमिना (ariṣṭaneminā) - by Ariṣṭanemi (a proper name)

• प्रोक्तम् (proktam) - was told (spoken, declared, told)

• सगराय (sagarāya) - to Sagara (a proper name)

• अनुपृच्छते (anupṛcchate) - to Sagara, who was asking for clarification (to one who asks in turn, to one who inquires further)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a character in the Mahabharata), terrible, formidable

From root √bhī (to fear) with suffix -ṣma. Means 'terrible' or 'formidable'.

Root: bhī (class 3)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

अत्र (atra) - regarding this (topic) (here, in this matter, regarding this)

(indeclinable)

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

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of tvad

tvad - you (pronoun)

वर्तयिष्यामि (vartayiṣyāmi) - I will relate (a narrative) (I shall relate, I shall narrate, I shall cause to proceed)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of vṛt

Causative future tense

Derived from root √vṛt (class 1, to be, exist, turn) in causative form (vartay) with future tense suffix.

Root: vṛt (class 1)

इतिहासम् (itihāsam) - an ancient narrative (itihāsa) (narrative, history, legend)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of itihāsa

itihāsa - history, legend, narrative, epic, tradition (literally 'thus it was')

Compound 'iti ha āsa' (thus indeed it was).

पुरातनम् (purātanam) - ancient, old, former

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of purātana

purātana - ancient, old, former, primeval

Derived from purā (formerly) with suffix -tana.

अरिष्टनेमिना (ariṣṭaneminā) - by Ariṣṭanemi (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ariṣṭanemi

ariṣṭanemi - Arishtanemi (name of a sage, literally 'with a perfect rim/felly')

Compound of ariṣṭa (uninjured, perfect) + nemi (rim, felly of a wheel).

प्रोक्तम् (proktam) - was told (spoken, declared, told)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prokta

prokta - spoken, declared, stated, told

Past Passive Participle

Derived from pra-√vac (to speak forth, declare) with past passive participle suffix -ta.

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

सगराय (sagarāya) - to Sagara (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of sagara

sagara - Sagara (a mythical king of Ayodhya)

अनुपृच्छते (anupṛcchate) - to Sagara, who was asking for clarification (to one who asks in turn, to one who inquires further)

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, singular of anupṛcchat

anupṛcchat - asking in turn, inquiring, questioning

Present Active Participle

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

Prefixes: anu+pra

Root: prach (class 6)