महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-134, verse-18

इत्युक्त्वा देवदेवस्य पत्नी धर्मभृतां वरा ।
स्मितपूर्वमिवाभाष्य सर्वास्ताः सरितस्तदा ॥१८॥

18. ityuktvā devadevasya patnī dharmabhṛtāṁ varā ,
smitapūrvamivābhāṣya sarvāstāḥ saritastadā.

18. iti uktvā devadevasya patnī dharmabhṛtām varā
smitapūrvam iva ābhāṣya sarvāḥ tāḥ saritaḥ tadā

18. iti uktvā devadevasya patnī dharmabhṛtām varā
tadā smitapūrvam iva ābhāṣya sarvāḥ tāḥ saritaḥ

18. Having thus spoken, the wife of the god of gods, who was the best among those upholding (natural) law (dharma), then addressed all those rivers with what seemed like a prior smile.

Words meanings summery:

• इति (iti) - thus (thus, so, in this manner (marks direct speech or thought))

• उक्त्वा (uktvā) - having spoken (having said, having spoken)

• देवदेवस्य (devadevasya) - of the god of gods (Shiva) (of the god of gods, of the supreme deity)

• पत्नी (patnī) - the wife (of Shiva, i.e., Pārvatī) (wife)

• धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those upholding (natural) law (dharma) (of those upholding (natural) law (dharma), of those who support righteousness)

• वरा (varā) - the best (best, excellent (feminine))

• स्मितपूर्वम् (smitapūrvam) - with a prior smile (preceded by a smile, with a smile first)

• इव (iva) - as if (like, as, as if)

• आभाष्य (ābhāṣya) - having addressed (having addressed, having spoken to)

• सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all (all (feminine plural))

• ताः (tāḥ) - those (those (feminine plural))

• सरितः (saritaḥ) - rivers

• तदा (tadā) - then (then, at that time)

Words meanings and morphology

इति (iti) - thus (thus, so, in this manner (marks direct speech or thought))

(indeclinable)

उक्त्वा (uktvā) - having spoken (having said, having spoken)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root √vac (to speak) with suffix -ktvā.

Root: vac (class 2)

देवदेवस्य (devadevasya) - of the god of gods (Shiva) (of the god of gods, of the supreme deity)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of devadeva

devadeva - god of gods, supreme deity (e.g., Shiva)

Compound type : tatpurusha (deva+deva)

• deva – god, deity
  noun (masculine)
• deva – god, deity
  noun (masculine)

Note: The "god of gods" refers to Shiva, whose wife Pārvatī is the subject.

पत्नी (patnī) - the wife (of Shiva, i.e., Pārvatī) (wife)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of patnī

patnī - wife, mistress

Note: Refers to Pārvatī.

धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those upholding (natural) law (dharma) (of those upholding (natural) law (dharma), of those who support righteousness)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dharmabhṛt

dharmabhṛt - upholding (natural) law (dharma), righteous

Derived from dharma + √bhṛ (to bear, support).

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+bhṛt)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
• bhṛt – bearing, supporting, maintaining
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix -kvip from √bhṛ.
  Root: bhṛ (class 3)

Note: Refers to those who uphold dharma.

वरा (varā) - the best (best, excellent (feminine))

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, superior; a boon

स्मितपूर्वम् (smitapūrvam) - with a prior smile (preceded by a smile, with a smile first)

(indeclinable)

Compound type : tatpurusha (smita+pūrva)

• smita – smile, smiling
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from √smi (to smile).
  Root: smi (class 1)
• pūrva – before, prior, preceded by
  adjective (masculine)

इव (iva) - as if (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

आभाष्य (ābhāṣya) - having addressed (having addressed, having spoken to)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root √bhāṣ (to speak) with prefix ā- and suffix -ya.

Prefix: ā

Root: bhāṣ (class 1)

सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all (all (feminine plural))

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole

ताः (tāḥ) - those (those (feminine plural))

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

सरितः (saritaḥ) - rivers

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of sarit

sarit - river

तदा (tadā) - then (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)