महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-120, verse-6

भीष्म उवाच ।
सोऽथारण्यमभिप्रेत्य पुनरेव युधिष्ठिर ।
महर्षेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रजा धर्मेण पाल्य च ॥६॥

6. bhīṣma uvāca ,
so'thāraṇyamabhipretya punareva yudhiṣṭhira ,
maharṣervacanaṁ śrutvā prajā dharmeṇa pālya ca.

6. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca saḥ atha āraṇyam abhipretya punaḥ eva
yudhiṣṭhira maharṣeḥ vacanam śrutvā prajāḥ dharmeṇa pālya ca

6. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca atha yudhiṣṭhira saḥ punaḥ eva āraṇyam
abhipretya maharṣeḥ vacanam śrutvā ca prajāḥ dharmeṇa pālya

6. Bhīṣma said: Then he, O Yudhiṣṭhira, having decided to go to the forest, and having heard the great sage's words, and having protected the subjects according to their intrinsic nature (dharma)...

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma, the narrator of this account (Bhīṣma (a revered character in the Mahābhārata))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• सः (saḥ) - the previously mentioned individual (e.g., the kṣatriya) (he, that (person))

• अथ (atha) - indicating the sequence of events that followed (then, now, thereupon, therefore)

• आरण्यम् (āraṇyam) - towards the seclusion of the forest (forest, wilderness)

• अभिप्रेत्य (abhipretya) - having resolved or set his mind upon going to the forest (having intended, having aimed at, having decided upon)

• पुनः (punaḥ) - reiterating or doing something again (again, further, moreover, afresh)

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only, even

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - the direct addressee of Bhīṣma's narration (O Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava))

• महर्षेः (maharṣeḥ) - of the venerable sage (likely Vyāsa, from preceding verses) (of the great sage)

• वचनम् (vacanam) - the instruction or discourse given by the sage (word, speech, saying)

• श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - upon receiving the teachings or message (having heard, after hearing)

• प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - the people or subjects under his care (creatures, offspring, subjects, citizens)

• धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - in accordance with moral principles or natural law (dharma) (by (dharma), according to (dharma), by righteousness, by law)

• पाल्य (pālya) - after fulfilling the duty of protecting and governing (having protected, having guarded, having governed)

• च (ca) - and, also, moreover

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma, the narrator of this account (Bhīṣma (a revered character in the Mahābhārata))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhīṣma (name of a Kuru patriarch); terrible, awful

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active, 3rd person singular

Root 'vac' (2nd class) forms 'uvāca' in perfect tense.

Root: vac (class 2)

सः (saḥ) - the previously mentioned individual (e.g., the kṣatriya) (he, that (person))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Pronoun 'tad', masculine nominative singular.

Note: Refers to the subject of the ongoing narrative.

अथ (atha) - indicating the sequence of events that followed (then, now, thereupon, therefore)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks a transition in the narrative.

आरण्यम् (āraṇyam) - towards the seclusion of the forest (forest, wilderness)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of āraṇya

āraṇya - forest, wilderness; belonging to a forest

From araṇa (distant, foreign) + ya suffix.

Note: Object of 'abhipretya', indicating direction.

अभिप्रेत्य (abhipretya) - having resolved or set his mind upon going to the forest (having intended, having aimed at, having decided upon)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From √i (to go) with prefixes abhi and pra.

Prefixes: abhi+pra

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Indicates an action completed by 'he' before subsequent events.

पुनः (punaḥ) - reiterating or doing something again (again, further, moreover, afresh)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes repetition or a return to a previous state/action.

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only, even

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - the direct addressee of Bhīṣma's narration (O Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava))

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava prince)

Literally 'firm in battle'. Compound of yudhi (in battle) and sthira (firm).

Compound type : tatpurusha (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of yudh (battle).
• sthira – firm, steady, constant, immovable
  adjective (masculine)
  From √sthā (to stand)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Direct address by Bhīṣma to Yudhiṣṭhira.

महर्षेः (maharṣeḥ) - of the venerable sage (likely Vyāsa, from preceding verses) (of the great sage)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of maharṣi

maharṣi - great sage, a revered seer

Compound of mahā (great) and ṛṣi (sage).

Compound type : karmadharaya (mahā+ṛṣi)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective (masculine)
  Stem of mahant.
• ṛṣi – sage, seer, inspired poet
  noun (masculine)

Note: Genitive of source, referring to the words heard.

वचनम् (vacanam) - the instruction or discourse given by the sage (word, speech, saying)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vacana

vacana - word, speech, saying, declaration, instruction

From √vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Direct object of 'śrutvā'.

श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - upon receiving the teachings or message (having heard, after hearing)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From √śru (to hear), class 5. Forms 'śrutvā' in absolutive.

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Indicates an action completed by 'he' before subsequent events.

प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - the people or subjects under his care (creatures, offspring, subjects, citizens)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of prajā

prajā - offspring, progeny, subjects, people, creation

From pra-√jan (to be born, produce)

Prefix: pra

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Direct object of 'pālya'. The Devanagari `प्रजा` is a metrical shortening for `prajāḥ`.

धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - in accordance with moral principles or natural law (dharma) (by (dharma), according to (dharma), by righteousness, by law)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - righteous conduct, duty, law, natural law, intrinsic nature, virtue

From √dhṛ (to hold, support)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Instrumental for manner, indicating how the protection was done.

पाल्य (pālya) - after fulfilling the duty of protecting and governing (having protected, having guarded, having governed)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From the causative stem of √pā (to protect), class 10. Forms 'pālya' in absolutive.

Root: pā (class 2)

Note: Indicates an action completed by 'he' before subsequent events.

च (ca) - and, also, moreover

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the series of actions.