महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-291, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
किं तदक्षरमित्युक्तं यस्मान्नावर्तते पुनः ।
किं च तत्क्षरमित्युक्तं यस्मादावर्तते पुनः ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kiṁ tadakṣaramityuktaṁ yasmānnāvartate punaḥ ,
kiṁ ca tatkṣaramityuktaṁ yasmādāvartate punaḥ.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kim tat akṣaram iti uktam yasmāt na āvartate
punaḥ kim ca tat kṣaram iti uktam yasmāt āvartate punaḥ

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca yasmāt punaḥ na āvartate tat kim akṣaram
iti uktam ca yasmāt punaḥ āvartate tat kim kṣaram iti uktam

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: What is that which is termed "the imperishable", from which one does not return again? And what is that which is termed "the perishable", from which one does return again?

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira, the speaker (Yudhiṣṭhira (name of a Pāṇḍava prince))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• किम् (kim) - what (interrogative pronoun) (what?, which?, why?)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to the imperishable) (that, it)

• अक्षरम् (akṣaram) - the imperishable (entity) (imperishable, indestructible, letter (of alphabet), syllable)

• इति (iti) - thus, called (thus, so, in this manner (marks direct speech or quoted term))

• उक्तम् (uktam) - is called (said, spoken, declared)

• यस्मात् (yasmāt) - from which (from which, whereby, because of which)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• आवर्तते (āvartate) - returns (to this world, saṃsāra) (returns, revolves, turns back)

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again (i.e., to this world) (again, once more, further)

• किम् (kim) - what (interrogative pronoun) (what?, which?, why?)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to the perishable) (that, it)

• क्षरम् (kṣaram) - the perishable (entity) (perishable, decaying, flowing, fleeting)

• इति (iti) - thus, called (thus, so, in this manner (marks direct speech or quoted term))

• उक्तम् (uktam) - is called (said, spoken, declared)

• यस्मात् (yasmāt) - from which (from which, whereby, because of which)

• आवर्तते (āvartate) - returns (to this world, saṃsāra) (returns, revolves, turns back)

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again (i.e., to this world) (again, once more, further)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira, the speaker (Yudhiṣṭhira (name of a Pāṇḍava prince))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (firm in battle), eldest of the Pāṇḍavas

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of yudh (battle)
• sthira – firm, steady, constant
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: The perfect tense verb 'uvāca' is common for 'said'.

किम् (kim) - what (interrogative pronoun) (what?, which?, why?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, which?, why?, how?

Note: Interrogative, seeking identification of 'that imperishable'.

तत् (tat) - that (referring to the imperishable) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, he, she

Note: Refers to akṣaram.

अक्षरम् (akṣaram) - the imperishable (entity) (imperishable, indestructible, letter (of alphabet), syllable)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of akṣara

akṣara - imperishable, indestructible, undecaying, unchanging, letter, syllable

From a (negation) + kṣara (perishable); lit. 'not perishing'

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kṣara)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• kṣara – perishable, decaying, flowing, fleeting
  adjective (masculine)
  From √kṣar (to flow, decay)
  Root: kṣar (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative to kim and tat.

इति (iti) - thus, called (thus, so, in this manner (marks direct speech or quoted term))

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks akṣaram as a quoted term.

उक्तम् (uktam) - is called (said, spoken, declared)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ukta

ukta - said, spoken, declared

Past Passive Participle

From √vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Used with iti to mean "is called" or "is declared to be".

यस्मात् (yasmāt) - from which (from which, whereby, because of which)

(pronoun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what, inasmuch as

Note: Refers to the akṣaram.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates āvartate.

आवर्तते (āvartate) - returns (to this world, saṃsāra) (returns, revolves, turns back)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of āvṛt

Prefix: ā

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Often implies return to saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again (i.e., to this world) (again, once more, further)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes repetition.

किम् (kim) - what (interrogative pronoun) (what?, which?, why?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, which?, why?, how?

Note: Interrogative, seeking identification of 'that perishable'.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that (referring to the perishable) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, he, she

Note: Refers to kṣaram.

क्षरम् (kṣaram) - the perishable (entity) (perishable, decaying, flowing, fleeting)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṣara

kṣara - perishable, decaying, flowing, fleeting, transient

From √kṣar (to flow, decay)

Root: kṣar (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative to kim and tat.

इति (iti) - thus, called (thus, so, in this manner (marks direct speech or quoted term))

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks kṣaram as a quoted term.

उक्तम् (uktam) - is called (said, spoken, declared)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ukta

ukta - said, spoken, declared

Past Passive Participle

From √vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Used with iti to mean "is called" or "is declared to be".

यस्मात् (yasmāt) - from which (from which, whereby, because of which)

(pronoun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what, inasmuch as

Note: Refers to the kṣaram.

आवर्तते (āvartate) - returns (to this world, saṃsāra) (returns, revolves, turns back)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of āvṛt

Prefix: ā

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Often implies return to saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again (i.e., to this world) (again, once more, further)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes repetition.