महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-67, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
चातुराश्रम्य उक्तोऽत्र चातुर्वर्ण्यस्तथैव च ।
राष्ट्रस्य यत्कृत्यतमं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
cāturāśramya ukto'tra cāturvarṇyastathaiva ca ,
rāṣṭrasya yatkṛtyatamaṁ tanme brūhi pitāmaha.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca cāturāśramyam uktaḥ atra cāturvarṇyaḥ
tathā eva ca rāṣṭrasya yat kṛtyatamam tat me brūhi pitāmaha

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca: pitāmaha atra
cāturāśramyam uktaḥ tathā eva ca
cāturvarṇyaḥ (uktaḥ) (asti) (ataḥ)
rāṣṭrasya yat kṛtyatamam tat me brūhi

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: "The system of four stages of life (āśramas) has been described here, and similarly, the system of four social orders (varṇas). Now, O Grandfather (pitāmaha), tell me what is the most essential constitution (dharma) for the nation (rāṣṭra)."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira (proper noun)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• चातुराश्रम्यम् (cāturāśramyam) - the system of four āśramas (stages of life)

• उक्तः (uktaḥ) - said, spoken, described

• अत्र (atra) - here, in this, in this matter

• चातुर्वर्ण्यः (cāturvarṇyaḥ) - the system of four varṇas (social orders)

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly

• च (ca) - and

• राष्ट्रस्य (rāṣṭrasya) - of the kingdom, of the nation

• यत् (yat) - what, which

• कृत्यतमम् (kṛtyatamam) - most essential constitution (dharma) (most important duty, most essential thing to be done)

• तत् (tat) - that

• मे (me) - to me, for me, my

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, say

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira (proper noun)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (eldest of the Pāṇḍavas), steady in battle

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect tense

Perfect tense (liṭ) form of root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

चातुराश्रम्यम् (cāturāśramyam) - the system of four āśramas (stages of life)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cāturāśramya

cāturāśramya - the system concerning the four āśramas or stages of life

Compound type : tatpuruṣa/dvigu (catur+āśrama)

• catur – four
  numeral
• āśrama – hermitage, stage of life
  noun (masculine)

उक्तः (uktaḥ) - said, spoken, described

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ukta

ukta - said, spoken, declared, described

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root vac (to speak) with suffix -ta. Forms of vac in PPP are irregular.

Root: vac (class 2)

अत्र (atra) - here, in this, in this matter

(indeclinable)

चातुर्वर्ण्यः (cāturvarṇyaḥ) - the system of four varṇas (social orders)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cāturvarṇya

cāturvarṇya - the system concerning the four varṇas or social orders

Compound type : tatpuruṣa/dvigu (catur+varṇa)

• catur – four
  numeral
• varṇa – color, class, social order
  noun (masculine)

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

राष्ट्रस्य (rāṣṭrasya) - of the kingdom, of the nation

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of rāṣṭra

rāṣṭra - kingdom, nation, country, realm

यत् (yat) - what, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

कृत्यतमम् (kṛtyatamam) - most essential constitution (dharma) (most important duty, most essential thing to be done)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛtyatama

kṛtyatama - most to be done, most important duty, most essential

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle (kṛtya) + superlative suffix (-tama)

Superlative form of kṛtya, which is a gerundive from root kṛ.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

मे (me) - to me, for me, my

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, say

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of brū

Imperative mood

Imperative (loṭ), 2nd person singular form of root brū.

Root: brū (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - grandfather