महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-335, verse-46

कर्णावाकाशपाताले ललाटं भूतधारिणी ।
गङ्गा सरस्वती पुण्या भ्रुवावास्तां महानदी ॥४६॥

46. karṇāvākāśapātāle lalāṭaṁ bhūtadhāriṇī ,
gaṅgā sarasvatī puṇyā bhruvāvāstāṁ mahānadī.

46. karṇau ākāśapātāle lalāṭaṃ bhūtadhāriṇī
gaṅgā sarasvatī puṇyā bhruvau āstāṃ mahānadī

46. karṇau ākāśapātāle; lalāṭaṃ bhūtadhāriṇī;
puṇyā gaṅgā sarasvatī mahānadī bhruvau āstāṃ

46. The ears represent the sky and the netherworld; the forehead is the Earth, the supporter of all beings (bhūtadhāriṇī). The sacred Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī are the great rivers that form the eyebrows.

Words meanings summery:

• कर्णौ (karṇau) - ears

• आकाशपाताले (ākāśapātāle) - representing the vastness of the deity's ears (the sky and the netherworld)

• ललाटं (lalāṭaṁ) - forehead

• भूतधारिणी (bhūtadhāriṇī) - referring to the Earth's role as the foundation for all life (supporter of beings, the Earth)

• गङ्गा (gaṅgā) - the Ganga river

• सरस्वती (sarasvatī) - the Sarasvati river

• पुण्या (puṇyā) - describing the divine nature of the rivers Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī (sacred, holy, pure)

• भ्रुवौ (bhruvau) - eyebrows

• आस्तां (āstāṁ) - they are, indicating a descriptive identification in the present (they are, they were, let them be)

• महानदी (mahānadī) - referring to Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī as the two great rivers (great rivers)

Words meanings and morphology

कर्णौ (karṇau) - ears

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of karṇa

karṇa - ear, handle, helm

आकाशपाताले (ākāśapātāle) - representing the vastness of the deity's ears (the sky and the netherworld)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, dual of ākāśapātāla

ākāśapātāla - sky and netherworld, ether and hell

Compound type : dvandva (ākāśa+pātāla)

• ākāśa – sky, ether, space
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: kāś (class 1)
• pātāla – netherworld, infernal regions
  noun (neuter)

Note: Appears as a dual nominative agreeing with 'karṇau' implicitly, indicating a metaphorical identity.

ललाटं (lalāṭaṁ) - forehead

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of lalāṭa

lalāṭa - forehead

भूतधारिणी (bhūtadhāriṇī) - referring to the Earth's role as the foundation for all life (supporter of beings, the Earth)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhūtadhāriṇī

bhūtadhāriṇī - supporter of beings, the Earth

Compound type : tatpurusha (bhūta+dhāriṇī)

• bhūta – being, creature, element, past
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from root bhū (to be, exist)
  Root: bhū (class 1)
• dhāriṇī – bearer, supporter, holding
  adjective (feminine)
  Agent Noun (feminine)
  from root dhṛ (to bear, hold)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: An epithet for the Earth, identified with the forehead.

गङ्गा (gaṅgā) - the Ganga river

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of gaṅgā

gaṅgā - the river Ganges

सरस्वती (sarasvatī) - the Sarasvati river

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sarasvatī

sarasvatī - the river Sarasvati; goddess of knowledge

पुण्या (puṇyā) - describing the divine nature of the rivers Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī (sacred, holy, pure)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of puṇya

puṇya - sacred, holy, pure, virtuous, meritorious

Note: Agrees with Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī, implicitly referring to each as sacred.

भ्रुवौ (bhruvau) - eyebrows

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, dual of bhrū

bhrū - eyebrow

आस्तां (āstāṁ) - they are, indicating a descriptive identification in the present (they are, they were, let them be)

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, descriptive present (laṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Imperfect tense form used descriptively in epic Sanskrit to convey a present state of being.

महानदी (mahānadī) - referring to Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī as the two great rivers (great rivers)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, dual of mahānadī

mahānadī - great river

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+nadī)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• nadī – river
  noun (feminine)

Note: Agrees in number and gender with Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī, referring to them as the dual subject of the sentence.