महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-87, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
कथंविधं पुरं राजा स्वयमावस्तुमर्हति ।
कृतं वा कारयित्वा वा तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kathaṁvidhaṁ puraṁ rājā svayamāvastumarhati ,
kṛtaṁ vā kārayitvā vā tanme brūhi pitāmaha.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kathaṃvidham puram rājā svayam āvastum
arhati kṛtam vā kārayitvā vā tat me brūhi pitāmaha

1. pitāmaha yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca rājā svayam kathaṃvidham
puram āvastum arhati vā kṛtam vā kārayitvā tat me brūhi

1. Yudhishthira said: "O Grandfather, what kind of city should a king himself inhabit? Please tell me whether he should build it himself or have it built by others."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - The eldest Pandava prince, addressing Bhishma. (Yudhishthira)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथंविधम् (kathaṁvidham) - of what kind, what sort of

• पुरम् (puram) - city, town

• राजा (rājā) - a king

• स्वयम् (svayam) - himself, by oneself

• आवस्तुम् (āvastum) - to reside, to inhabit

• अर्हति (arhati) - should, is worthy, deserves

• कृतम् (kṛtam) - made, done, built

• वा (vā) - or

• कारयित्वा (kārayitvā) - having caused to be made/built

• वा (vā) - or

• तत् (tat) - that

• मे (me) - to me, for me

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, speak

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - Bhishma, paternal grandfather of Yudhishthira. (O Grandfather)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - The eldest Pandava prince, addressing Bhishma. (Yudhishthira)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steadfast in battle

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  indeclinable
• sthira – firm, steady
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: vac (class 2)

कथंविधम् (kathaṁvidham) - of what kind, what sort of

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kathaṃvidha

kathaṁvidha - of what kind or sort

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (katham+vidha)

• katham – how, in what way
  indeclinable
• vidha – kind, sort
  noun (masculine)

पुरम् (puram) - city, town

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pura

pura - city, fortress, town

राजा (rājā) - a king

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

स्वयम् (svayam) - himself, by oneself

(indeclinable)

आवस्तुम् (āvastum) - to reside, to inhabit

(indeclinable)

infinitive

infinitive of the verb ā-vas

Prefix: ā

Root: vas (class 1)

अर्हति (arhati) - should, is worthy, deserves

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of arh

present tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: arh (class 1)

कृतम् (kṛtam) - made, done, built

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛta

kṛta - made, done, built

Past Passive Participle

PPP of root kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Refers to 'puram', hence neuter.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

कारयित्वा (kārayitvā) - having caused to be made/built

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

absolutive from causative of root kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

मे (me) - to me, for me

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Also functions as genitive.

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, speak

(verb)

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

imperative, 2nd person singular, active voice

Root: brū (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - Bhishma, paternal grandfather of Yudhishthira. (O Grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather