महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-50, verse-17

कामं नैतत्तवाख्येयं प्राणिनां प्रभवाप्ययौ ।
भवान्ह्युपदिशेच्छ्रेयो देवानामपि भारत ॥१७॥

17. kāmaṁ naitattavākhyeyaṁ prāṇināṁ prabhavāpyayau ,
bhavānhyupadiśecchreyo devānāmapi bhārata.

17. kāmam na etat tava ākhyeyam prāṇinām prabhavāpyayau
bhavān hi upadiśet śreyaḥ devānām api bhārata

17. bhārata,
kāmam prāṇinām prabhavāpyayau etat tava na ākhyeyam; hi bhavān devānām api śreyaḥ upadiśet

17. Indeed, this — the origin and dissolution of living beings — is certainly not something that needs to be explained to you. For you, O Bhārata (Bhīṣma), would instruct even the gods on what is beneficial (śreya).

Words meanings summery:

• कामम् (kāmam) - indeed, certainly (indeed, certainly, willingly)

• न (na) - not

• एतत् (etat) - this (topic of origin and dissolution) (this)

• तव (tava) - to you (Bhishma) (to you, of you, your)

• आख्येयम् (ākhyeyam) - to be explained (to be told, to be narrated, to be explained)

• प्राणिनाम् (prāṇinām) - of living beings (of living beings, of creatures)

• प्रभवाप्ययौ (prabhavāpyayau) - the origin and dissolution (of living beings) (origin and dissolution, creation and destruction)

• भवान् (bhavān) - You (Bhishma) (Your Honor, you (respectful))

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

• उपदिशेत् (upadiśet) - would instruct (should instruct, should teach, should point out)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - what is beneficial (welfare, good, liberation, superior)

• देवानाम् (devānām) - of the gods

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• भारत (bhārata) - O Bhārata (referring to Bhishma) (O descendant of Bharata, O Indian)

Words meanings and morphology

कामम् (kāmam) - indeed, certainly (indeed, certainly, willingly)

(indeclinable)

Accusative singular of kāma used as an adverb.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

एतत् (etat) - this (topic of origin and dissolution) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that

Note: Refers to prabhavāpyayau.

तव (tava) - to you (Bhishma) (to you, of you, your)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Functions as dative with the gerundive.

आख्येयम् (ākhyeyam) - to be explained (to be told, to be narrated, to be explained)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ākhyeya

ākhyeya - to be told, to be narrated, explainable

Gerundive

From root khyā (to tell) with prefix ā + ya suffix.

Prefix: ā

Root: khyā (class 2)

Note: Predicate adjective.

प्राणिनाम् (prāṇinām) - of living beings (of living beings, of creatures)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of prāṇin

prāṇin - living being, creature, animate

From prāṇa (breath/life) + -in suffix.

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Possessive with prabhavāpyayau.

प्रभवाप्ययौ (prabhavāpyayau) - the origin and dissolution (of living beings) (origin and dissolution, creation and destruction)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of prabhavāpyaya

prabhavāpyaya - origin and dissolution, creation and destruction

Dvandva compound of prabhava and apyaya.

Compound type : dvandva (prabhava+apyaya)

• prabhava – origin, source, birth
  noun (masculine)
  From root bhū with pra- prefix
  Prefix: pra
  Root: bhū (class 1)
• apyaya – dissolution, destruction, end
  noun (masculine)
  From root i with api- prefix
  Prefix: api
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Subject of the 'is not to be explained' clause.

भवान् (bhavān) - You (Bhishma) (Your Honor, you (respectful))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - Your Honor, you (respectful form), present, existing

Present Active Participle (of bhū) used as a pronoun

Nominative singular masculine of the participle used as a polite pronoun.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject of upadiśet.

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

(indeclinable)

उपदिशेत् (upadiśet) - would instruct (should instruct, should teach, should point out)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of diś

Optative active

Third person singular, optative mood, active voice. With upasarga 'upa'.

Prefix: upa

Root: diś (class 6)

Note: The subject is bhavān (respectful 'you').

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - what is beneficial (welfare, good, liberation, superior)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - welfare, good, bliss, liberation (mokṣa), superior, excellent

Comparative degree of praśasya (excellent), used as a noun.

Note: Object of upadiśet.

देवानाम् (devānām) - of the gods

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine

Root: div (class 4)

Note: With api, 'even of the gods'.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

भारत (bhārata) - O Bhārata (referring to Bhishma) (O descendant of Bharata, O Indian)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhārata

bhārata - descendant of Bharata, related to Bharata, Indian

From Bharata with aṇ suffix.

Root: bhṛ (class 1)