महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-81, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
यदप्यल्पतरं कर्म तदप्येकेन दुष्करम् ।
पुरुषेणासहायेन किमु राज्यं पितामह ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
yadapyalpataraṁ karma tadapyekena duṣkaram ,
puruṣeṇāsahāyena kimu rājyaṁ pitāmaha.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca yat api alpataram karma tat api
ekena duṣkaram puruṣeṇa asahāyena kimu rājyam pitāmaha

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca pitāmaha,
yat api alpataram karma ekena asahāyena puruṣeṇa duṣkaram,
rājyam kimu (duṣkaram iti)?

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: Even a very small task (karma) is difficult for a single, unaided person (puruṣa) to accomplish; what then to say of a kingdom, O grandfather?

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava brother)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• यत् (yat) - what, whatever, that which

• अपि (api) - even, also, too, indeed

• अल्पतरम् (alpataram) - very small, slightest, smaller

• कर्म (karma) - a task or action (action, deed, work, task, fate (karma))

• तत् (tat) - that, that one

• अपि (api) - even, also, too, indeed

• एकेन (ekena) - by one, by a single person

• दुष्करम् (duṣkaram) - difficult to do, hard to accomplish, arduous

• पुरुषेण (puruṣeṇa) - by a person, by a human being (puruṣa)

• असहायेन (asahāyena) - by an unaided one, by one without help

• किमु (kimu) - what then? how much more? how much less?

• राज्यम् (rājyam) - kingdom, sovereignty, dominion

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (referring to Bhīṣma) (grandfather)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava brother)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira, steady in battle, firm in war

From yudhi (in battle) + sthira (firm)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

यत् (yat) - what, whatever, that which

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yat

yat - that which, whatever, which

Note: Used here as part of an indeclinable phrase 'yad api' (even if, whatever be).

अपि (api) - even, also, too, indeed

(indeclinable)

अल्पतरम् (alpataram) - very small, slightest, smaller

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of alpatara

alpatara - smaller, slighter, very little

Comparative form of 'alpa' (small, little)

कर्म (karma) - a task or action (action, deed, work, task, fate (karma))

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma)

From root √kṛ (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

तत् (tat) - that, that one

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Used here as part of an indeclinable phrase 'tad api' (even that, that too).

अपि (api) - even, also, too, indeed

(indeclinable)

एकेन (ekena) - by one, by a single person

(numeral)

दुष्करम् (duṣkaram) - difficult to do, hard to accomplish, arduous

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of duṣkara

duṣkara - difficult to do, arduous, hard to accomplish

From dus (bad, difficult) + √kṛ (to do, make) + -a (suffix)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

पुरुषेण (puruṣeṇa) - by a person, by a human being (puruṣa)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, human being, person (puruṣa), the Cosmic Person, the Soul

असहायेन (asahāyena) - by an unaided one, by one without help

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of asahāya

asahāya - helpless, unaided, without a companion

Compound of a- (not) + sahāya (helper, companion)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+sahāya)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• sahāya – companion, helper, assistant
  noun (masculine)

किमु (kimu) - what then? how much more? how much less?

(indeclinable)

From kim (what) + u (indeed)

राज्यम् (rājyam) - kingdom, sovereignty, dominion

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rājya

rājya - kingdom, realm, sovereignty, government

From rājan (king) + -ya (suffix)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (referring to Bhīṣma) (grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - grandfather, paternal grandfather, Brahmā (as the great ancestor)

From pitṛ (father) + maha (great)