महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-120, verse-12

भीष्म उवाच ।
भगवद्वचनात्कीटो ब्राह्मण्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम् ।
अकरोत्पृथिवीं राजन्यज्ञयूपशताङ्किताम् ।
ततः सालोक्यमगमद्ब्रह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः ॥१२॥

12. bhīṣma uvāca ,
bhagavadvacanātkīṭo brāhmaṇyaṁ prāpya durlabham ,
akarotpṛthivīṁ rājanyajñayūpaśatāṅkitām ,
tataḥ sālokyamagamadbrahmaṇo brahmavittamaḥ.

12. bhīṣma uvāca | bhagavat vacanāt kīṭaḥ
brāhmaṇyaṃ prāpya durlabham | akarot pṛthivīṃ
rājan yajñayūpaśata aṅkitām | tataḥ
sālokyam agamat brahmaṇaḥ brahmavittamaḥ

12. rājan bhīṣma uvāca bhagavat vacanāt
kīṭaḥ durlabham brāhmaṇyam prāpya pṛthivīm
yajñayūpaśata aṅkitām akarot tataḥ
brahmavittamaḥ brahmaṇaḥ sālokyam agamat

12. Bhīṣma said: "O King, by the words of the venerable one, the worm, having attained the rare state of a brāhmaṇa, made the earth marked with hundreds of posts for Vedic rituals (yajña-yūpa). Thereafter, he, the best among those who know the absolute reality (brahman), attained the same realm (salokya) as Brahmā."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - The speaker of this verse. (Bhīṣma (a proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• भगवत् (bhagavat) - Refers to Vyāsa, whose words transformed the worm. (of the venerable one, divine, glorious)

• वचनात् (vacanāt) - By the power or effect of Vyāsa's words. (from the word, by the utterance)

• कीटः (kīṭaḥ) - The worm that gained brāhmaṇa status. (worm, insect)

• ब्राह्मण्यम् (brāhmaṇyam) - The elevated social and spiritual status. (the state of a brāhmaṇa, Brahmanhood)

• प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained, having reached, having attained

• दुर्लभम् (durlabham) - The status of a brāhmaṇa is generally hard to achieve. (difficult to obtain, rare)

• अकरोत् (akarot) - The worm, now a brāhmaṇa, performed many Vedic rituals. (he made, he did)

• पृथिवीम् (pṛthivīm) - The planet earth. (earth)

• राजन् (rājan) - Bhīṣma is addressing Yudhiṣṭhira. (O King)

• यज्ञयूपशत (yajñayūpaśata) - Refers to the numerous Vedic rituals performed by the transformed worm. (hundreds of posts for Vedic rituals)

• अङ्किताम् (aṅkitām) - The earth was characterized by these many ritual posts. (marked, adorned, designated)

• ततः (tataḥ) - Indicating a sequence of events. (then, thereafter, thence)

• सालोक्यम् (sālokyam) - A specific type of liberation (mokṣa), dwelling in the same world as the deity. (the state of being in the same world/realm)

• अगमत् (agamat) - The worm attained the realm of Brahmā. (he went, he attained)

• ब्रह्मणः (brahmaṇaḥ) - Here, referring to the deity Brahmā, whose realm was attained. (of Brahmā, of the Absolute)

• ब्रह्मवित्तमः (brahmavittamaḥ) - The worm, having become a brāhmaṇa and performed rituals, gained supreme knowledge. (best among those who know (brahman), most excellent knower of the Absolute)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - The speaker of this verse. (Bhīṣma (a proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhīṣma

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect active

root √vac, perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Root: vac (class 2)

भगवत् (bhagavat) - Refers to Vyāsa, whose words transformed the worm. (of the venerable one, divine, glorious)

(adjective)

masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - venerable, glorious, divine

Note: Here used as the first part of a compound 'bhagavadvacana'.

वचनात् (vacanāt) - By the power or effect of Vyāsa's words. (from the word, by the utterance)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of vacana

vacana - word, speech, utterance

from √vac 'to speak'

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Signifies the cause. Combined with 'bhagavat' forms a tatpuruṣa compound `bhagavadvacana`.

कीटः (kīṭaḥ) - The worm that gained brāhmaṇa status. (worm, insect)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kīṭa

kīṭa - worm, insect

Note: Subject of akarot and agamat.

ब्राह्मण्यम् (brāhmaṇyam) - The elevated social and spiritual status. (the state of a brāhmaṇa, Brahmanhood)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of brāhmaṇya

brāhmaṇya - state of a brāhmaṇa, Brahmanhood

derived from brāhmaṇa

Note: Object of prāpya.

प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained, having reached, having attained

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

from √āp with prefix pra- (indeclinable past participle)

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

दुर्लभम् (durlabham) - The status of a brāhmaṇa is generally hard to achieve. (difficult to obtain, rare)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of durlabha

durlabha - difficult to obtain, rare

gerundive

from √labh with prefix dur-

Prefix: dur

Root: labh (class 1)

Note: Qualifies brāhmaṇyam.

अकरोत् (akarot) - The worm, now a brāhmaṇa, performed many Vedic rituals. (he made, he did)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, aorist (luṅ) of kṛ

aorist active

root √kṛ, 3rd person singular aorist (luṅ)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: The augment 'a' is for the aorist and imperfect tenses.

पृथिवीम् (pṛthivīm) - The planet earth. (earth)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of pṛthivī

pṛthivī - earth, world

Note: Object of akarot.

राजन् (rājan) - Bhīṣma is addressing Yudhiṣṭhira. (O King)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Root: rāj (class 1)

Note: Null ending in vocative singular.

यज्ञयूपशत (yajñayūpaśata) - Refers to the numerous Vedic rituals performed by the transformed worm. (hundreds of posts for Vedic rituals)

(noun)

neuter, singular of yajñayūpaśata

yajñayūpaśata - hundreds of Vedic ritual posts

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (yajñayūpa+śata)

• yajña – Vedic ritual, devotion, worship
  noun (masculine)
  Root: yaj (class 1)
• yūpa – sacrificial post, column
  noun (masculine)
  Root: yū
• śata – hundred
  noun (neuter)

Note: Part of the compound `yajñayūpaśatāṅkitām`.

अङ्किताम् (aṅkitām) - The earth was characterized by these many ritual posts. (marked, adorned, designated)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of aṅkita

aṅkita - marked, adorned, designated

Past Passive Participle

from √aṅk 'to mark'

Root: aṅk (class 1)

Note: Qualifies pṛthivīm. The whole compound `yajñayūpaśatāṅkitām` is an adjective for pṛthivīm.

ततः (tataḥ) - Indicating a sequence of events. (then, thereafter, thence)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of sequence.

सालोक्यम् (sālokyam) - A specific type of liberation (mokṣa), dwelling in the same world as the deity. (the state of being in the same world/realm)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sālokya

sālokya - same world, co-existence in the same realm

from sa-loka (with the world/realm)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+loka)

• sa – with, together
  indeclinable
• loka – world, realm, people
  noun (masculine)
  Root: lok (class 1)

Note: Object of agamat.

अगमत् (agamat) - The worm attained the realm of Brahmā. (he went, he attained)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, aorist (luṅ) of gam

aorist active

root √gam, 3rd person singular aorist (luṅ)

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: The augment 'a' is for the aorist and imperfect tenses.

ब्रह्मणः (brahmaṇaḥ) - Here, referring to the deity Brahmā, whose realm was attained. (of Brahmā, of the Absolute)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator deity), the Absolute, the ultimate reality

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Indicates possession or relation to sālokyam.

ब्रह्मवित्तमः (brahmavittamaḥ) - The worm, having become a brāhmaṇa and performed rituals, gained supreme knowledge. (best among those who know (brahman), most excellent knower of the Absolute)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahmavittama

brahmavittama - best knower of brahman

superlative degree of brahmavit

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahmavit+tama)

• brahman – the Absolute, ultimate reality
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bṛh (class 1)
• vit – knower, understanding
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun
  from √vid 'to know'
  Root: vid (class 2)
• tama – most, best (superlative suffix)
  suffix (masculine)

Note: Qualifies the implied subject (kīṭaḥ).