महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-133, verse-54

महेश्वर उवाच ।
श्रेयांसं मार्गमातिष्ठन्सदा यः पृच्छते द्विजान् ।
धर्मान्वेषी गुणाकाङ्क्षी स स्वर्गं समुपाश्नुते ॥५४॥

54. maheśvara uvāca ,
śreyāṁsaṁ mārgamātiṣṭhansadā yaḥ pṛcchate dvijān ,
dharmānveṣī guṇākāṅkṣī sa svargaṁ samupāśnute.

54. maheśvaraḥ uvāca śreyāṃsam mārgam ātiṣṭhan sadā yaḥ pṛcchate
dvijān dharmānveṣī guṇākāṅkṣī saḥ svargam samupāśnute

54. maheśvaraḥ uvāca yaḥ sadā śreyāṃsam mārgam ātiṣṭhan dvijān
pṛcchate dharmānveṣī guṇākāṅkṣī saḥ svargam samupāśnute

54. Maheshvara said: 'He who, always following the superior path, inquires of the twice-born, who is a seeker of natural law (dharma) and a desirer of virtues, he attains heaven.'

Words meanings summery:

• महेश्वरः (maheśvaraḥ) - Maheshvara (Shiva) (Maheshvara, the Great Lord (an epithet of Shiva))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (he/she said)

• श्रेयांसम् (śreyāṁsam) - superior (superior, excellent, better)

• मार्गम् (mārgam) - path (path, way, road, course)

• आतिष्ठन् (ātiṣṭhan) - following (standing by, resorting to, following, practicing)

• सदा (sadā) - always (always, constantly, forever)

• यः (yaḥ) - he who (who, which, he who)

• पृच्छते (pṛcchate) - inquires (he/she asks, inquires, questions)

• द्विजान् (dvijān) - the twice-born (Brahmins) (the twice-born (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas), birds, teeth)

• धर्मान्वेषी (dharmānveṣī) - a seeker of natural law (dharma) (seeker of dharma, one who searches for righteousness/natural law)

• गुणाकाङ्क्षी (guṇākāṅkṣī) - a desirer of virtues (desiring qualities, seeking virtues)

• सः (saḥ) - he (he, that)

• स्वर्गम् (svargam) - heaven (heaven, celestial world)

• समुपाश्नुते (samupāśnute) - he attains (he/she attains, enjoys, experiences, reaches)

Words meanings and morphology

महेश्वरः (maheśvaraḥ) - Maheshvara (Shiva) (Maheshvara, the Great Lord (an epithet of Shiva))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of maheśvara

maheśvara - the Great Lord, an epithet of Shiva

Compound of mahā (great) + īśvara (lord)

Compound type : karma-dhāraya (mahā+īśvara)

• mahā – great, mighty
  adjective
• īśvara – lord, master, ruler, god
  noun (masculine)
  From root √īś (to rule)
  Root: īś (class 2)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he/she said)

(verb)

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

Perfect (lit) active

3rd person singular perfect active of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

श्रेयांसम् (śreyāṁsam) - superior (superior, excellent, better)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śreyas

śreyas - superior, excellent, good, welfare, ultimate good, beatitude

Comparative form of praśasya (excellent) or śrī (prosperity)

मार्गम् (mārgam) - path (path, way, road, course)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mārga

mārga - path, way, road, course, track

From root √mṛg (to seek)

Root: mṛg (class 2)

आतिष्ठन् (ātiṣṭhan) - following (standing by, resorting to, following, practicing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ā√sthā

ā√sthā - to stand by, to approach, to resort to, to follow, to perform, to undertake

Present Active Participle

Present active participle of root √sthā (to stand) with prefix ā

Prefix: ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'yaḥ'.

सदा (sadā) - always (always, constantly, forever)

(indeclinable)

From sarva (all) + dā (suffix for time)

यः (yaḥ) - he who (who, which, he who)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

पृच्छते (pṛcchate) - inquires (he/she asks, inquires, questions)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of √prach

3rd person singular present middle of √prach (to ask)

Root: prach (class 6)

द्विजान् (dvijān) - the twice-born (Brahmins) (the twice-born (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas), birds, teeth)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of dvija

dvija - twice-born (a Brahmin, Kshatriya, or Vaishya), bird, tooth

Compound of dvi (two) + ja (born)

Compound type : upapada tatpurusha (dvi+ja)

• dvi – two
  numeral
• ja – born, produced from
  suffix (kṛt) (masculine)
  Agent noun suffix
  From root √jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: In this context, it refers to Brahmins or wise spiritual teachers.

धर्मान्वेषी (dharmānveṣī) - a seeker of natural law (dharma) (seeker of dharma, one who searches for righteousness/natural law)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmānveṣin

dharmānveṣin - seeker of dharma, one who investigates duty/righteousness/natural law

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+anveṣin)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty (dharma)
  noun (masculine)
  From root √dhṛ (to support)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• anveṣin – seeking, searching, investigating
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun suffix (-in)
  From anu + √īṣ (to seek)
  Prefix: anu
  Root: īṣ (class 1)

गुणाकाङ्क्षी (guṇākāṅkṣī) - a desirer of virtues (desiring qualities, seeking virtues)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of guṇākāṅkṣin

guṇākāṅkṣin - desiring qualities, seeking virtues, wishing for good attributes

Compound type : tatpurusha (guṇa+ākāṅkṣin)

• guṇa – quality, virtue, attribute
  noun (masculine)
• ākāṅkṣin – desiring, wishing for, expecting
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun suffix (-in)
  From ā + √kāṅkṣ (to desire)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: kāṅkṣ (class 1)

सः (saḥ) - he (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Corresponds to the relative pronoun 'yaḥ'.

स्वर्गम् (svargam) - heaven (heaven, celestial world)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of svarga

svarga - heaven, paradise, celestial world

समुपाश्नुते (samupāśnute) - he attains (he/she attains, enjoys, experiences, reaches)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of samupa√aś

From prefix sam + upa + root √aś (to attain, to enjoy)

Prefixes: sam+upa

Root: aś (class 5)