महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-1, verse-8

भीष्म उवाच ।
परतन्त्रं कथं हेतुमात्मानमनुपश्यसि ।
कर्मण्यस्मिन्महाभाग सूक्ष्मं ह्येतदतीन्द्रियम् ॥८॥

8. bhīṣma uvāca ,
paratantraṁ kathaṁ hetumātmānamanupaśyasi ,
karmaṇyasminmahābhāga sūkṣmaṁ hyetadatīndriyam.

8. bhīṣma uvāca paratantram katham hetum ātmānam anupaśyasi
karmaṇi asmin mahābhāga sūkṣmam hi etat atīndriyam

8. bhīṣma uvāca: mahābhāga,
asmin karmaṇi paratantram ātmānam hetum katham anupaśyasi? hi etat sūkṣmam atīndriyam.

8. Bhīṣma said: 'O illustrious one, how do you consider your self (ātman) to be the dependent cause in this action (karma)? Indeed, this is subtle and beyond the senses.'

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma (Bhishma (proper noun))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

• परतन्त्रम् (paratantram) - dependent (on others) (dependent on others, subject to another's will, not independent)

• कथम् (katham) - how? (how? in what manner? why?)

• हेतुम् (hetum) - cause (cause, reason, motive)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - your self (ātman) (the self, soul, spirit, essence (ātman))

• अनुपश्यसि (anupaśyasi) - you consider (you see, you observe, you consider)

• कर्मणि (karmaṇi) - in this action (karma) (in the action, in the deed, in the work (karma))

• अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this (in this (masculine/neuter locative singular))

• महाभाग (mahābhāga) - O illustrious one! (O great-fortuned one! O illustrious one! O highly blessed one!)

• सूक्ष्मम् (sūkṣmam) - subtle (subtle, minute, fine, abstruse, refined)

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

• एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the matter of karma or dependence) (this, that)

• अतीन्द्रियम् (atīndriyam) - beyond the senses (beyond the senses, imperceptible, transcendental)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma (Bhishma (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (name of a prominent character in the Mahābhārata)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, third person singular

Irregular perfect form of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

परतन्त्रम् (paratantram) - dependent (on others) (dependent on others, subject to another's will, not independent)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of paratantra

paratantra - dependent on others, subject to another's will, not independent

Compound of 'para' (other) + 'tantra' (system, principle, independent)

Compound type : tatpurusha (para+tantra)

• para – other, another, supreme
  adjective
• tantra – thread, system, doctrine, rule, independence (in some contexts)
  noun (neuter)

Note: Describes 'ātmānam'.

कथम् (katham) - how? (how? in what manner? why?)

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies 'anupaśyasi'.

हेतुम् (hetum) - cause (cause, reason, motive)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of hetu

hetu - cause, reason, motive, instrument

From root 'hi' (to send, urge) + suffix 'tu'

Root: hi (class 3)

Note: Predicate accusative of 'ātmānam'.

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - your self (ātman) (the self, soul, spirit, essence (ātman))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, living principle (ātman)

Note: Object of 'anupaśyasi'.

अनुपश्यसि (anupaśyasi) - you consider (you see, you observe, you consider)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of anupaś

Present tense, second person singular

From root 'dṛś' (to see) with prefix 'anu', paśya is the present stem.

Prefix: anu

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Refers to the listener's action of seeing/considering.

कर्मणि (karmaṇi) - in this action (karma) (in the action, in the deed, in the work (karma))

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, destiny, effect of actions (karma)

From root 'kṛ' (to do, make) + suffix 'man'

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Specifies the context of the action.

अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this (in this (masculine/neuter locative singular))

(demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Agrees with 'karmaṇi'.

महाभाग (mahābhāga) - O illustrious one! (O great-fortuned one! O illustrious one! O highly blessed one!)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahābhāga

mahābhāga - great-fortuned, illustrious, highly blessed

Compound of 'mahā' (great) + 'bhāga' (portion, fortune)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (possessing great fortune) or karma-dhāraya (great fortune itself) (mahā+bhāga)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• bhāga – share, portion, fortune, destiny
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'bhaj' (to divide, share)
  Root: bhaj (class 1)

Note: Addressed to the listener (Yudhishthira, as per the Mahābhārata context).

सूक्ष्मम् (sūkṣmam) - subtle (subtle, minute, fine, abstruse, refined)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sūkṣma

sūkṣma - subtle, minute, fine, delicate, abstruse, esoteric

Note: Predicate adjective for 'etat'.

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

(indeclinable)

एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the matter of karma or dependence) (this, that)

(demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'asti'.

अतीन्द्रियम् (atīndriyam) - beyond the senses (beyond the senses, imperceptible, transcendental)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of atīndriya

atīndriya - beyond the senses, imperceptible, transcendental

Compound of 'ati' (beyond) + 'indriya' (sense organ)

Compound type : avyayībhāva or tatpurusha (beyond senses) (ati+indriya)

• ati – beyond, over, excessively
  indeclinable
• indriya – sense organ, faculty of sense
  noun (neuter)

Note: Another predicate adjective for 'etat'.