महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-118, verse-18

अहमासं मनुष्यो वै शूद्रो बहुधनः पुरा ।
अब्रह्मण्यो नृशंसश्च कदर्यो वृद्धिजीवनः ॥१८॥

18. ahamāsaṁ manuṣyo vai śūdro bahudhanaḥ purā ,
abrahmaṇyo nṛśaṁsaśca kadaryo vṛddhijīvanaḥ.

18. aham āsam manuṣyaḥ vai śūdraḥ bahudhanaḥ purā
abrahmaṇyaḥ nṛśaṃsaḥ ca kadaryaḥ vṛddhijīvanaḥ

18. purā aham vai manuṣyaḥ āsam śūdraḥ bahudhanaḥ
abrahmaṇyaḥ ca nṛśaṃsaḥ kadaryaḥ vṛddhijīvanaḥ

18. Formerly, I was indeed a man, a wealthy śūdra, impious towards Brahmins, cruel, miserly, and living by usury.

Words meanings summery:

• अहम् (aham) - I, myself

• आसम् (āsam) - I was, I have been

• मनुष्यः (manuṣyaḥ) - human, man, person

• वै (vai) - indeed, truly, certainly, surely

• शूद्रः (śūdraḥ) - a member of the fourth varna, a laborer, a sudra

• बहुधनः (bahudhanaḥ) - wealthy, having much wealth, rich

• पुरा (purā) - formerly, anciently, previously, in the past

• अब्रह्मण्यः (abrahmaṇyaḥ) - disrespectful to Brahmins, impious, unholy

• नृशंसः (nṛśaṁsaḥ) - cruel, wicked, mischievous, evil

• च (ca) - and, also

• कदर्यः (kadaryaḥ) - miserly, stingy, avaricious, contemptible

• वृद्धिजीवनः (vṛddhijīvanaḥ) - living by interest, moneylender, usurer

Words meanings and morphology

अहम् (aham) - I, myself

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I, ego (ahaṅkāra)

आसम् (āsam) - I was, I have been

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of as

Imperfect tense, active voice, first person singular.

Root 'as' (2nd class), 'laṅ' (imperfect) termination 'am'.

Root: as (class 2)

मनुष्यः (manuṣyaḥ) - human, man, person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of manuṣya

manuṣya - man, human being, person

From 'manu' with suffix 'ṣya'.

वै (vai) - indeed, truly, certainly, surely

(indeclinable)

शूद्रः (śūdraḥ) - a member of the fourth varna, a laborer, a sudra

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śūdra

śūdra - a man of the fourth or lowest of the four principal castes

बहुधनः (bahudhanaḥ) - wealthy, having much wealth, rich

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bahudhana

bahudhana - very rich, wealthy, having much property

Compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bahu+dhana)

• bahu – much, many, abundant
  adjective (masculine)
• dhana – wealth, riches, property, money
  noun (neuter)
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'śūdraḥ'.

पुरा (purā) - formerly, anciently, previously, in the past

(indeclinable)

अब्रह्मण्यः (abrahmaṇyaḥ) - disrespectful to Brahmins, impious, unholy

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of abrahmaṇya

abrahmaṇya - not connected with Brahmins, not reverencing Brahmins, impious

Nañ-tatpuruṣa compound.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+brahmaṇya)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative particle (prefix)
• brahmaṇya – favorable to Brahmins, relating to Brahmins, devout
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'śūdraḥ'.

नृशंसः (nṛśaṁsaḥ) - cruel, wicked, mischievous, evil

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nṛśaṃsa

nṛśaṁsa - wicked, cruel, mischievous, evil, injurious

Compound.

Note: Agrees with 'śūdraḥ'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

कदर्यः (kadaryaḥ) - miserly, stingy, avaricious, contemptible

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kadarya

kadarya - avaricious, miserly, stingy, contemptible

From 'kad' (bad) + 'arya' (noble, master) meaning 'bad master' or 'bad for a master'.

Note: Agrees with 'śūdraḥ'.

वृद्धिजीवनः (vṛddhijīvanaḥ) - living by interest, moneylender, usurer

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vṛddhijīvana

vṛddhijīvana - living by interest, moneylender, usurer

Tatpuruṣa compound.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vṛddhi+jīvana)

• vṛddhi – growth, increase, interest (on money)
  noun (feminine)
  From root 'vṛdh' (to grow).
  Root: vṛdh (class 1)
• jīvana – living, livelihood, means of subsistence
  noun (neuter)
  From root 'jīv' (to live).
  Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'śūdraḥ'.

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