महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-20, verse-18

आतिथ्यं परमं कार्यं शुश्रूषा भवतस्तथा ।
संवर्ततामित्युवाच मुनिर्मधुरया गिरा ॥१८॥

18. ātithyaṁ paramaṁ kāryaṁ śuśrūṣā bhavatastathā ,
saṁvartatāmityuvāca munirmadhurayā girā.

18. ātithyam paramam kāryam śuśrūṣā bhavataḥ tathā
saṃvartatām iti uvāca muniḥ madhurayā girā

18. ātithyam paramam kāryam tathā bhavataḥ śuśrūṣā;
muniḥ madhurayā girā saṃvartatām iti uvāca

18. Supreme hospitality (ātithya) and service (śuśrūṣā) should be rendered to you; "Let it proceed!" said the sage with sweet words.

Words meanings summery:

• आतिथ्यम् (ātithyam) - hospitality (hospitality, reception of guests)

• परमम् (paramam) - supreme, greatest (supreme, excellent, highest)

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - should be done/rendered (to be done, to be performed, duty)

• शुश्रूषा (śuśrūṣā) - service (service, obedience, desire to hear)

• भवतः (bhavataḥ) - to you (the sage) (of you, for you (polite form))

• तथा (tathā) - and (linking ātithyam and śuśrūṣā) (thus, so, likewise, and)

• संवर्तताम् (saṁvartatām) - let it proceed (as an acceptance) (let it happen, let it proceed)

• इति (iti) - thus (marking the preceding word as a quote) (thus, so, (marks a quotation))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

• मुनिः (muniḥ) - the sage (sage, ascetic, silent one)

• मधुरया (madhurayā) - with sweet (with sweet, with pleasant)

• गिरा (girā) - with words (with voice, with speech, with words)

Words meanings and morphology

आतिथ्यम् (ātithyam) - hospitality (hospitality, reception of guests)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ātithya

ātithya - hospitality, duty of a host, entertainment of guests

Derived from 'atithi' (guest).

Note: Subject of 'kāryam' (which acts as a predicate adjective).

परमम् (paramam) - supreme, greatest (supreme, excellent, highest)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of parama

parama - highest, supreme, best, excellent, ultimate

Note: Agrees with 'ātithyam' and 'kāryam'.

कार्यम् (kāryam) - should be done/rendered (to be done, to be performed, duty)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - to be done, proper to be done, duty, action, business

Gerundive

Formed from root kṛ (to do) + ya.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

शुश्रूषा (śuśrūṣā) - service (service, obedience, desire to hear)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śuśrūṣā

śuśrūṣā - service, obedience, attendance, desire to hear

Derived from desiderative stem of root śru (to hear), meaning desire to hear, but also service (as in listening to commands).

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Another subject, parallel to 'ātithyam'.

भवतः (bhavataḥ) - to you (the sage) (of you, for you (polite form))

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - your honor, your (polite)

Genitive singular of the polite pronoun 'bhavat'.

तथा (tathā) - and (linking ātithyam and śuśrūṣā) (thus, so, likewise, and)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the two nouns 'ātithyam' and 'śuśrūṣā'.

संवर्तताम् (saṁvartatām) - let it proceed (as an acceptance) (let it happen, let it proceed)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of saṃvṛt

Imperative

3rd person singular, from root vṛt with prefix sam.

Prefix: sam

Root: vṛt (class 1)

इति (iti) - thus (marking the preceding word as a quote) (thus, so, (marks a quotation))

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the quote 'saṃvartatām' to the verb 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect

3rd person singular, from root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

मुनिः (muniḥ) - the sage (sage, ascetic, silent one)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of muni

muni - sage, ascetic, silent one, seer

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

मधुरया (madhurayā) - with sweet (with sweet, with pleasant)

(adjective)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of madhura

madhura - sweet, charming, pleasant, delightful

Note: Agrees with 'girā'.

गिरा (girā) - with words (with voice, with speech, with words)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of gir

gir - voice, speech, word, song

From root gṛ (to praise, proclaim).

Root: gṛ (class 6)

Note: Indicates the manner of speech.