महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-322, verse-16

भीष्म उवाच ।
विस्तीर्णैषा कथा राजञ्श्रुता मे पितृसंनिधौ ।
सैषा तव हि वक्तव्या कथासारो हि स स्मृतः ॥१६॥

16. bhīṣma uvāca ,
vistīrṇaiṣā kathā rājañśrutā me pitṛsaṁnidhau ,
saiṣā tava hi vaktavyā kathāsāro hi sa smṛtaḥ.

16. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca vistīrṇā eṣā kathā rājan śrutā me pitṛsaṃnidhau
sā eṣā tava hi vaktavyā kathāsāraḥ hi saḥ smṛtaḥ

16. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca rājan eṣā vistīrṇā kathā me pitṛsaṃnidhau
śrutā hi sā eṣā tava vaktavyā hi saḥ kathāsāraḥ smṛtaḥ

16. Bhīṣma said: "O King, this story is indeed extensive; I heard it in the presence of my father. This very story must be recounted to you, for it is considered the essence of narratives."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• विस्तीर्णा (vistīrṇā) - extensive, vast, widespread

• एषा (eṣā) - this (feminine)

• कथा (kathā) - story, narrative, tale

• राजन् (rājan) - O king

• श्रुता (śrutā) - heard

• मे (me) - to me, for me, my, by me

• पितृसंनिधौ (pitṛsaṁnidhau) - in the presence of the father

• सा (sā) - that (feminine)

• एषा (eṣā) - this (feminine)

• तव (tava) - your, to you

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• वक्तव्या (vaktavyā) - to be spoken, to be told, should be told

• कथासारः (kathāsāraḥ) - essence of stories, gist of a narrative

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• सः (saḥ) - that, he

• स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered, traditional

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a character in the Mahābhārata)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

विस्तीर्णा (vistīrṇā) - extensive, vast, widespread

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vistīrṇa

vistīrṇa - extensive, vast, widespread

Past Passive Participle

Derived from verb root stṛ with prefix vi-.

Prefix: vi

Root: stṛ (class 5)

Note: Agrees with 'kathā'.

एषा (eṣā) - this (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Agrees with 'kathā'.

कथा (kathā) - story, narrative, tale

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kathā

kathā - story, narrative, tale

राजन् (rājan) - O king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

श्रुता (śrutā) - heard

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śruta

śruta - heard, listened, revealed (e.g., in scriptures)

Past Passive Participle

Derived from verb root śru.

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Agrees with 'kathā'. The agent 'me' is instrumental.

मे (me) - to me, for me, my, by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Enclitic form of asmad, here functioning as instrumental agent with the past passive participle 'śrutā'.

पितृसंनिधौ (pitṛsaṁnidhau) - in the presence of the father

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of pitṛsaṃnidhi

pitṛsaṁnidhi - presence of the father

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pitṛ+saṃnidhi)

• pitṛ – father
  noun (masculine)
• saṃnidhi – presence, proximity
  noun (masculine)
  From sam-ni-dhā.
  Prefixes: sam+ni
  Root: dhā (class 3)

सा (sā) - that (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, it

Note: Refers to 'kathā'.

एषा (eṣā) - this (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Forms an emphatic pronoun 'sā eṣā' meaning 'this very one', referring to 'kathā'.

तव (tava) - your, to you

(pronoun)

singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Here, functions as dative 'to you' with 'vaktavyā'.

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

वक्तव्या (vaktavyā) - to be spoken, to be told, should be told

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vaktavya

vaktavya - to be spoken, to be said, should be said

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

Derived from verb root vac with suffix -tavya.

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'kathā' (implied) in 'sā eṣā'.

कथासारः (kathāsāraḥ) - essence of stories, gist of a narrative

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kathāsāra

kathāsāra - essence of a story, gist of a narrative

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kathā+sāra)

• kathā – story, narrative, tale
  noun (feminine)
• sāra – essence, core, pith, substance
  noun (masculine)

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

सः (saḥ) - that, he

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, it

Note: Refers to the story (kathā) or the essence of the story.

स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered, traditional

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of smṛta

smṛta - remembered, thought of, recollected, traditional

Past Passive Participle

Derived from verb root smṛ.

Root: smṛ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'saḥ'.