महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-327, verse-40

ते तपः समुपातिष्ठन्ब्रह्मोक्तं वेदकल्पितम् ।
स महानियमो नाम तपश्चर्या सुदारुणा ॥४०॥

40. te tapaḥ samupātiṣṭhanbrahmoktaṁ vedakalpitam ,
sa mahāniyamo nāma tapaścaryā sudāruṇā.

40. te tapaḥ samupātiṣṭhan brahmoktam vedakalpitam
saḥ mahāniyamaḥ nāma tapaścaryā sudāruṇā

40. te brahmoktam vedakalpitam tapaḥ samupātiṣṭhan
saḥ mahāniyamaḥ nāma sudāruṇā tapaścaryā

40. They undertook severe austerities (tapas) as declared by Brahmā and ordained by the Vedas. That extremely rigorous practice of austerity (tapaścaryā) was known as Mahāniyama.

Words meanings summery:

• ते (te) - they, those

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, severe spiritual practice (austerity, penance, heat)

• समुपातिष्ठन् (samupātiṣṭhan) - they undertook, they practiced

• ब्रह्मोक्तम् (brahmoktam) - declared by Brahmā, spoken by Brahmā

• वेदकल्पितम् (vedakalpitam) - ordained by the Vedas, conceived by the Vedas

• सः (saḥ) - that, he

• महानियमः (mahāniyamaḥ) - The Great Vow, a specific type of severe penance (great vow, great restriction)

• नाम (nāma) - by name, indeed, namely

• तपश्चर्या (tapaścaryā) - practice of austerity, performance of penance

• सुदारुणा (sudāruṇā) - very severe, extremely dreadful

Words meanings and morphology

ते (te) - they, those

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the sages and gods mentioned in the previous verse

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, severe spiritual practice (austerity, penance, heat)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - religious austerity, penance, heat, fervent activity

Root: tap (class 1)

समुपातिष्ठन् (samupātiṣṭhan) - they undertook, they practiced

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of sthā

imperfect active 3rd plural, with prefixes sam-upa-ā

Prefixes: sam+upa+ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

ब्रह्मोक्तम् (brahmoktam) - declared by Brahmā, spoken by Brahmā

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of brahmokta

brahmokta - spoken by Brahmā, declared by Brahmā

Past Passive Participle

Compound: brahma + ukta (P.P.P. of vac 'to speak')

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+ukta)

• brahman – Brahmā (the deity)
  proper noun (masculine)
• ukta – spoken, said, declared
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root vac 'to speak'
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'tapaḥ'

वेदकल्पितम् (vedakalpitam) - ordained by the Vedas, conceived by the Vedas

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vedakalpita

vedakalpita - ordained by the Vedas, designed by the Vedas

Past Passive Participle

Compound: veda + kalpita (P.P.P. of kḷp 'to form, arrange')

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (veda+kalpita)

• veda – knowledge, the Vedas
  noun (masculine)
  Root: vid (class 6)
• kalpita – formed, arranged, ordained
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root kḷp 'to form, arrange'
  Root: kḷp (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'tapaḥ'

सः (saḥ) - that, he

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'mahāniyamaḥ'

महानियमः (mahāniyamaḥ) - The Great Vow, a specific type of severe penance (great vow, great restriction)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahāniyama

mahāniyama - great vow, great rule, severe restriction

Compound: mahā + niyama

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+niyama)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective (feminine)
• niyama – rule, restriction, vow, discipline
  noun (masculine)
  From root yam 'to restrain' with prefix ni
  Prefix: ni
  Root: yam (class 1)

नाम (nāma) - by name, indeed, namely

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here to mean 'called' or 'named'

तपश्चर्या (tapaścaryā) - practice of austerity, performance of penance

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tapaścaryā

tapaścaryā - practice of austerity, performance of penance

Compound: tapas + caryā

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tapas+caryā)

• tapas – religious austerity, penance
  noun (neuter)
  Root: tap (class 1)
• caryā – practice, conduct, observance
  noun (feminine)
  From root car 'to move, behave'
  Root: car (class 1)

सुदारुणा (sudāruṇā) - very severe, extremely dreadful

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sudāruṇa

sudāruṇa - very severe, extremely cruel, dreadful

Compound: su + dāruṇa

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+dāruṇa)

• su – good, well, very
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating 'good' or 'very'
• dāruṇa – harsh, cruel, severe, dreadful
  adjective (feminine)
  Root: dṝ

Note: Agrees with 'tapaścaryā'