महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-121, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
विद्या तपश्च दानं च किमेतेषां विशिष्यते ।
पृच्छामि त्वा सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
vidyā tapaśca dānaṁ ca kimeteṣāṁ viśiṣyate ,
pṛcchāmi tvā satāṁ śreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | vidyā tapaḥ ca dānam ca kim eteṣām
viśiṣyate | pṛcchāmi tvā satām śreṣṭha tat me brūhi pitāmaha

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca satām śreṣṭha pitāmaha,
vidyā tapaḥ ca dānam ca eteṣām kim viśiṣyate? tat me brūhi

1. Yudhishthira said: "O Grandfather, best among the virtuous, I ask you: among knowledge, asceticism (tapas), and charity (dāna), which of these is considered superior? Please tell me that."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• विद्या (vidyā) - knowledge, learning, science

• तपः (tapaḥ) - asceticism (tapas) (asceticism, penance, austerity)

• च (ca) - and

• दानम् (dānam) - charity (dāna) (giving, gift, charity)

• च (ca) - and

• किम् (kim) - what, which

• एतेषाम् (eteṣām) - of these

• विशिष्यते (viśiṣyate) - is distinguished, is superior, excels

• पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi) - I ask, I inquire

• त्वा (tvā) - you (accusative singular)

• सताम् (satām) - of the virtuous, of the good people

• श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - best, most excellent, superior

• तत् (tat) - that

• मे (me) - to me, for me

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, speak

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - grandfather, great sire

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Name of the eldest Pandava prince

Compound type : aluk-tatpurusha (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  indeclinable (feminine)
  Locative of `yudh` (battle) used as first member of compound.
• sthira – steady, firm
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from √sthā 'to stand'.
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect active indicative

Irregular perfect form of √vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

विद्या (vidyā) - knowledge, learning, science

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vidyā

vidyā - knowledge, learning, science

Derived from √vid 'to know'.

Root: vid (class 2)

तपः (tapaḥ) - asceticism (tapas) (asceticism, penance, austerity)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - heat, warmth, pain, suffering, asceticism, penance, austerity

From √tap 'to heat, burn'.

Root: tap (class 1)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

दानम् (dānam) - charity (dāna) (giving, gift, charity)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - giving, gift, charity, liberality

From √dā 'to give'.

Root: dā (class 3)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

किम् (kim) - what, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

Interrogative pronoun.

एतेषाम् (eteṣām) - of these

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to `vidyā`, `tapas`, `dānam`.

विशिष्यते (viśiṣyate) - is distinguished, is superior, excels

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (lat) of viśiṣ

present passive indicative

From √śiṣ 'to remain' with prefix `vi-`.

Prefix: vi

Root: śiṣ (class 7)

Note: Passive sense implied in context.

पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi) - I ask, I inquire

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (lat) of prach

present active indicative

Form from √prach (6th class).

Root: prach (class 6)

त्वा (tvā) - you (accusative singular)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Second person pronoun.

Note: Equivalent to `tvām`.

सताम् (satām) - of the virtuous, of the good people

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - being, existing, good, virtuous, real

present active participle

Present active participle of √as 'to be', used as a noun.

Root: as (class 2)

श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - best, most excellent, superior

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, most excellent, superior, chief

Superlative of praśasya/praśasta (good).

Note: Used as an address: 'O best'.

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

मे (me) - to me, for me

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

First person pronoun.

Note: Here used in dative sense 'to me'.

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, speak

(verb)

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

imperative active

Irregular imperative form of √brū.

Root: brū (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - grandfather, great sire

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - grandfather, great sire, Brahma

Compound of pitṛ (father) and maha (great).

Compound type : tatpurusha (pitṛ+maha)

• pitṛ – father
  noun (masculine)
• maha – great, big
  adjective