महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-138, verse-18

तिष्ठेत्कथमिति ब्रूहि न किंचिद्धि तदा भवेत् ।
अहंकार इति प्रोक्तः सर्वतेजोगतः प्रभुः ॥१८॥

18. tiṣṭhetkathamiti brūhi na kiṁciddhi tadā bhavet ,
ahaṁkāra iti proktaḥ sarvatejogataḥ prabhuḥ.

18. tiṣṭhet katham iti brūhi na kiñcit hi tadā bhavet
ahaṅkāraḥ iti proktaḥ sarvatejogataḥ prabhuḥ

18. brūhi katham tiṣṭhet iti hi tadā kiñcit na bhavet
ahaṅkāraḥ iti proktaḥ sarvatejogataḥ prabhuḥ

18. Tell me, how could it exist? Indeed, nothing would have been there then. It is said that the ego (ahaṅkāra) is the lord (prabhu) endowed with all splendor.

Words meanings summery:

• तिष्ठेत् (tiṣṭhet) - how could it exist? (it should stand, it might stand, it could exist)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner, why)

• इति (iti) - thus (introducing a question or statement) (thus, in this manner, marking quotation)

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell (me) (speak, tell)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - nothing (when negated by 'na') (anything, something, some)

• हि (hi) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, surely, because)

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

• भवेत् (bhavet) - it would have existed (it would be, it should be, it would exist)

• अहङ्कारः (ahaṅkāraḥ) - the principle of ego (ahaṅkāra), the cosmic sense of individuality (ego, self-conceit, sense of 'I-ness')

• इति (iti) - thus (thus, in this manner, marking quotation)

• प्रोक्तः (proktaḥ) - is declared/stated (in scriptures or by authorities) (declared, said, announced)

• सर्वतेजोगतः (sarvatejogataḥ) - endowed with all splendor (describing ahaṅkāra) (endowed with all splendor, possessing all brilliance)

• प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the lord (referring to ahaṅkāra) (lord, master, mighty)

Words meanings and morphology

तिष्ठेत् (tiṣṭhet) - how could it exist? (it should stand, it might stand, it could exist)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of sthā

Root 'sthā', 1st class (tiṣṭhati). Optative 3rd singular.

Root: sthā (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative particle.

इति (iti) - thus (introducing a question or statement) (thus, in this manner, marking quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the preceding question as quoted or expressed.

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell (me) (speak, tell)

(verb)

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

Root 'brū', 2nd class (bravīti). Imperative 2nd singular.

Root: brū (class 2)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation particle.

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - nothing (when negated by 'na') (anything, something, some)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiñcid

kiñcid - anything, something, somewhat

Indefinite pronoun formed from 'kim' (what) and 'cid' (a particle).

Note: Subject of 'bhavet'.

हि (hi) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, surely, because)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle for emphasis or explanation.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Time adverb.

भवेत् (bhavet) - it would have existed (it would be, it should be, it would exist)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of bhū

Root 'bhū', 1st class (bhavati). Optative 3rd singular.

Root: bhū (class 1)

अहङ्कारः (ahaṅkāraḥ) - the principle of ego (ahaṅkāra), the cosmic sense of individuality (ego, self-conceit, sense of 'I-ness')

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ahaṅkāra

ahaṅkāra - ego, self-consciousness, individuality, sense of 'I', pride

Compound of 'aham' (I) and 'kāra' (maker, doer, act of making).

Compound type : aluk-tatpuruṣa (aham+kāra)

• aham – I
  pronoun
  First person singular pronoun
• kāra – maker, doer, action, sound
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'kṛ' (to do, make).
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of the statement.

इति (iti) - thus (thus, in this manner, marking quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the preceding word as the subject being described.

प्रोक्तः (proktaḥ) - is declared/stated (in scriptures or by authorities) (declared, said, announced)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prokta

prokta - spoken, declared, said, announced

Past Passive Participle

From root 'vac' (to speak) with prefix 'pra-'. 'vac' changes to 'ukta' in PPP forms.

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Predicative use, 'is declared'.

सर्वतेजोगतः (sarvatejogataḥ) - endowed with all splendor (describing ahaṅkāra) (endowed with all splendor, possessing all brilliance)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarvatejogata

sarvatejogata - endowed with all splendor, possessed of all brilliance (lit. 'to whom all brilliance has gone')

Bahuvrīhi compound: 'sarva' (all) + 'tejas' (splendor) + 'gata' (gone/endowed). The 's' of 'tejas' becomes 'o' before 'gata' by internal sandhi within the compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sarva+tejas+gata)

• sarva – all, every, whole
  adjective
• tejas – splendor, brilliance, energy, power
  noun (neuter)
• gata – gone, attained, reached, endowed with
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'gam' (to go).
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Refers to 'prabhuḥ'.

प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the lord (referring to ahaṅkāra) (lord, master, mighty)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prabhu

prabhu - lord, master, mighty, powerful, supreme ruler

From prefix 'pra' and root 'bhū' (to be, become).

Prefix: pra

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject.