महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-321, verse-5

भीष्म उवाच ।
गूढं मां प्रश्नवित्प्रश्नं पृच्छसे त्वमिहानघ ।
न ह्येष तर्कया शक्यो वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि ॥५॥

5. bhīṣma uvāca ,
gūḍhaṁ māṁ praśnavitpraśnaṁ pṛcchase tvamihānagha ,
na hyeṣa tarkayā śakyo vaktuṁ varṣaśatairapi.

5. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca gūḍham mām praśnavit praśnam pṛcchase tvam
iha anagha na hi eṣaḥ tarkayā śakyaḥ vaktum varṣaśataiḥ api

5. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca anagha tvam iha mām gūḍham praśnavit praśnam
pṛcchase hi eṣaḥ tarkayā varṣaśataiḥ api vaktum na śakyaḥ

5. Bhishma said: 'O sinless one (anagha), you are asking me a profound question here. Indeed, this (topic) cannot be explained by reasoning (tarka), even in hundreds of years.'

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma, a character in the Mahabharata (Bhishma (proper noun))

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

• गूढम् (gūḍham) - profound (hidden, profound, mysterious, secret)

• माम् (mām) - me (Bhishma) (me)

• प्रश्नवित् (praśnavit) - one who knows questions (questioner, one who knows questions, expert in questions)

• प्रश्नम् (praśnam) - question (question, inquiry)

• पृच्छसे (pṛcchase) - you ask (me) (you ask)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (Yudhishthira) (you)

• इह (iha) - here (in this context, in this discussion) (here, in this world, in this matter)

• अनघ (anagha) - O sinless one (epithet for Yudhishthira) (sinless, faultless, pure)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

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

• एषः (eṣaḥ) - this (topic/question) (this, this one)

• तर्कया (tarkayā) - by reasoning (by reasoning, by logic, by speculation)

• शक्यः (śakyaḥ) - able to be explained (capable, possible, able to be done)

• वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to explain (to speak, to say, to explain)

• वर्षशतैः (varṣaśataiḥ) - even in hundreds of years (by hundreds of years, for hundreds of years)

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, and, though)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma, a character in the Mahabharata (Bhishma (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (name of a famous warrior and patriarch in the Mahabharata)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

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

(verb)

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

perfect tense, 3rd person singular

from root vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

गूढम् (gūḍham) - profound (hidden, profound, mysterious, secret)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of gūḍha

gūḍha - hidden, profound, mysterious, secret

Past Passive Participle

from root guh (to hide)

Root: guh (class 1)

माम् (mām) - me (Bhishma) (me)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of aham

aham - I, me

Note: Object of pṛcchase.

प्रश्नवित् (praśnavit) - one who knows questions (questioner, one who knows questions, expert in questions)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of praśnavit

praśnavit - questioner, one who knows questions, skilled in questioning

compound of praśna (question) + vid (to know, in the sense of 'knower')

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (praśna+vid)

• praśna – question, inquiry
  noun (masculine)
• vid – knower, one who knows
  noun (masculine)
  from root vid (to know)
  Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Refers to Yudhishthira.

प्रश्नम् (praśnam) - question (question, inquiry)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of praśna

praśna - question, inquiry

from pra-śnā (to ask)

Prefix: pra

Root: śnā (class 2)

Note: Object of pṛcchase.

पृच्छसे (pṛcchase) - you ask (me) (you ask)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of praś

present tense, 2nd person singular

from root praś (to ask), 6th conjugation, middle voice

Root: praś (class 6)

Note: Subject is tvam.

त्वम् (tvam) - you (Yudhishthira) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Subject of pṛcchase.

इह (iha) - here (in this context, in this discussion) (here, in this world, in this matter)

(indeclinable)

adverb of place

अनघ (anagha) - O sinless one (epithet for Yudhishthira) (sinless, faultless, pure)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of anagha

anagha - sinless, faultless, pure, innocent

a (not) + nagha (sin)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+nagha)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• nagha – sin, fault
  noun (neuter)

Note: Addressing Yudhishthira.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

negative particle

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

(indeclinable)

particle

एषः (eṣaḥ) - this (topic/question) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Subject of the sentence.

तर्कया (tarkayā) - by reasoning (by reasoning, by logic, by speculation)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of tarkā

tarkā - reasoning, logic, speculation, argument

from root tark (to reason, speculate)

Root: tark (class 10)

Note: Indicates the means.

शक्यः (śakyaḥ) - able to be explained (capable, possible, able to be done)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śakya

śakya - capable, possible, able to be done, practicable

Gerundive (Potential Passive Participle)

from root śak (to be able)

Root: śak (class 5)

Note: Implies 'it is possible to be spoken'.

वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to explain (to speak, to say, to explain)

(verb)

active, infinitive (tumun) of vac

infinitive

from root vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Used with śakyaḥ.

वर्षशतैः (varṣaśataiḥ) - even in hundreds of years (by hundreds of years, for hundreds of years)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of varṣaśata

varṣaśata - hundred years, century

compound of varṣa (year) + śata (hundred)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (varṣa+śata)

• varṣa – year, rain
  noun (neuter)
• śata – hundred
  noun (neuter)

Note: Indicates the duration.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, and, though)

(indeclinable)

particle