महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-323, verse-21

मेरोरुत्तरभागे तु क्षीरोदस्यानुकूलतः ।
स देशो यत्र नस्तप्तं तपः परमदारुणम् ।
कथं पश्येमहि वयं देवं नारायणं त्विति ॥२१॥

21. meroruttarabhāge tu kṣīrodasyānukūlataḥ ,
sa deśo yatra nastaptaṁ tapaḥ paramadāruṇam ,
kathaṁ paśyemahi vayaṁ devaṁ nārāyaṇaṁ tviti.

21. meroḥ uttarabhāge tu kṣīrodasya
anukūlataḥ saḥ deśaḥ yatra naḥ taptam
tapaḥ paramadāruṇam katham
paśyemahi vayam devam nārāyaṇam tu iti

21. And in the northern part of Mount Meru, near the Milk Ocean, that was the spot where we performed our exceedingly severe spiritual austerity (tapas). [They wondered:] "How may we (vayam) see the divine Nārāyaṇa?"

Words meanings summery:

• मेरोः (meroḥ) - of Mount Meru (of Meru)

• उत्तरभागे (uttarabhāge) - in the northern part (in the northern part/region)

• तु (tu) - and, moreover (but, and, indeed, moreover)

• क्षीरोदस्य (kṣīrodasya) - of the Milk Ocean (a mythical ocean) (of the ocean of milk)

• अनुकूलतः (anukūlataḥ) - near, in proximity to (near, favorably, conveniently)

• सः (saḥ) - that (place) (that, he)

• देशः (deśaḥ) - that very place/spot (place, region, country)

• यत्र (yatra) - where (where, in which, when)

• नः (naḥ) - by us (by us, to us, our)

• तप्तम् (taptam) - performed (spiritual austerity) (performed (penance), heated, suffered)

• तपः (tapaḥ) - spiritual austerity (tapas) (penance, austerity (tapas), heat)

• परमदारुणम् (paramadāruṇam) - exceedingly severe (exceedingly severe, most terrible)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

• पश्येमहि (paśyemahi) - may we see (may we see, should we see)

• वयम् (vayam) - we

• देवम् (devam) - the divine (god, deity, divine being)

• नारायणम् (nārāyaṇam) - the god Nārāyaṇa (Nārāyaṇa (a name of Viṣṇu))

• तु (tu) - indeed (but, and, indeed, moreover)

• इति (iti) - thus (concluding their thought/question) (thus, so, in this manner)

Words meanings and morphology

मेरोः (meroḥ) - of Mount Meru (of Meru)

(proper noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of meru

meru - Meru (a mythical mountain, center of the world)

उत्तरभागे (uttarabhāge) - in the northern part (in the northern part/region)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of uttarabhāga

uttarabhāga - northern part, upper part

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (uttara+bhāga)

• uttara – northern, upper, later
  adjective (neuter)
• bhāga – part, portion, share, region
  noun (masculine)

तु (tu) - and, moreover (but, and, indeed, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: A particle indicating emphasis or contrast.

क्षीरोदस्य (kṣīrodasya) - of the Milk Ocean (a mythical ocean) (of the ocean of milk)

(proper noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kṣīroda

kṣīroda - ocean of milk, milk ocean

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kṣīra+uda)

• kṣīra – milk
  noun (neuter)
• uda – water, ocean
  noun (masculine)

अनुकूलतः (anukūlataḥ) - near, in proximity to (near, favorably, conveniently)

(indeclinable)

Derived from 'anukūla' with suffix 'tas', indicating 'from' or 'in the manner of', here signifying 'near' or 'in the vicinity of'.

Prefix: anu

Root: kūl

Note: From 'anukūla' (favorable, adjacent) + 'tas' suffix.

सः (saḥ) - that (place) (that, he)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'deśaḥ'.

देशः (deśaḥ) - that very place/spot (place, region, country)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of deśa

deśa - place, region, country, spot

Note: Subject of the clause 'sa deśaḥ yatra...'.

यत्र (yatra) - where (where, in which, when)

(indeclinable)

नः (naḥ) - by us (by us, to us, our)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Enclitic form for 1st person plural, functions here as instrumental for the agent of the passive participle 'taptam'.

तप्तम् (taptam) - performed (spiritual austerity) (performed (penance), heated, suffered)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapta

tapta - heated, burned, performed (tapas), suffered

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root 'tap' (to perform austerity)

Root: tap (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'tapaḥ'.

तपः (tapaḥ) - spiritual austerity (tapas) (penance, austerity (tapas), heat)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - heat, warmth, pain, suffering, penance, austerity (tapas)

Note: Subject of the clause 'taptam tapaḥ'.

परमदारुणम् (paramadāruṇam) - exceedingly severe (exceedingly severe, most terrible)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of paramadāruṇa

paramadāruṇa - most terrible, exceedingly dreadful/severe

Compound type : karmadhāraya (parama+dāruṇa)

• parama – supreme, highest, utmost, excellent
  adjective (neuter)
• dāruṇa – terrible, dreadful, severe, harsh
  adjective (neuter)

Note: Agrees with 'tapaḥ'.

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

पश्येमहि (paśyemahi) - may we see (may we see, should we see)

(verb)

1st person , plural, middle, optative (vidhiliṅ) of dṛś

optative middle

Root 'dṛś' (1st class) in optative mood, 1st person plural, middle voice. The stem is 'paśya'.

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Expresses a wish or possibility.

वयम् (vayam) - we

(pronoun)

Nominative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

देवम् (devam) - the divine (god, deity, divine being)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of deva

deva - god, deity, divine, celestial

Note: Object of 'paśyemahi'.

नारायणम् (nārāyaṇam) - the god Nārāyaṇa (Nārāyaṇa (a name of Viṣṇu))

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nārāyaṇa

nārāyaṇa - Nārāyaṇa (a name of Viṣṇu, meaning 'resting on the waters' or 'refuge of man')

Note: Object of 'paśyemahi', in apposition to 'devam'.

तु (tu) - indeed (but, and, indeed, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: A particle indicating emphasis or contrast.

इति (iti) - thus (concluding their thought/question) (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

Note: Quotation marker.