महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-20, verse-68

भीष्म उवाच ।
ततः स ऋषिरेकाग्रस्तां स्त्रियं प्रत्यभाषत ।
आस्यतां रुचिरं छन्दः किं वा कार्यं ब्रवीहि मे ॥६८॥

68. bhīṣma uvāca ,
tataḥ sa ṛṣirekāgrastāṁ striyaṁ pratyabhāṣata ,
āsyatāṁ ruciraṁ chandaḥ kiṁ vā kāryaṁ bravīhi me.

68. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca | tataḥ saḥ ṛṣiḥ ekāgrastām striyam prati
abhāṣata | āsyatām ruciram chandaḥ kim vā kāryam bravīhi me

68. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca tataḥ saḥ ṛṣiḥ ekāgrastām striyam prati
abhāṣata ruciram chandaḥ āsyatām kim vā kāryam me bravīhi

68. Bhishma said: Then that sage addressed the woman, who was standing with one-pointed concentration, saying, "Please be seated comfortably, as you wish. What is your purpose, or what task do you have for me? Please tell me."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - The venerable Bhishma, narrator of the Mahabharata. (Bhishma)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, afterwards

• सः (saḥ) - Referring to the sage. (he, that)

• ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - The specific sage whose story is being narrated. (sage, seer)

• एकाग्रस्ताम् (ekāgrastām) - Describing the woman who was engaged in austerities or deep thought. (concentrated, one-pointed, standing with focused attention)

• स्त्रियम् (striyam) - The specific woman being addressed by the sage. (woman, wife)

• प्रति (prati) - Indicates the direction of speech, "addressed towards". (towards, to, against)

• अभाषत (abhāṣata) - spoke, addressed

• आस्यताम् (āsyatām) - An invitation to sit. (let it be sat, please sit down)

• रुचिरम् (ruciram) - "comfortably" or "at your pleasure". (beautiful, pleasing, agreeable, comfortably)

• छन्दः (chandaḥ) - "as you wish", "at your pleasure". (wish, will, desire, metre)

• किम् (kim) - "What is it?" (what?, why?, whether)

• वा (vā) - "or" (or, either)

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - "what task" (work, task, duty, to be done)

• ब्रवीहि (bravīhi) - "tell me" (tell, speak)

• मे (me) - "to me" or "for me" (dative/genitive) (to me, my, for me)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - The venerable Bhishma, narrator of the Mahabharata. (Bhishma)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (name of a Kuru warrior)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active third person singular

Irregular perfect form from root vac-

Root: vac (class 2)

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, afterwards

(indeclinable)

Derived from 'tad' (that)

सः (saḥ) - Referring to the sage. (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - The specific sage whose story is being narrated. (sage, seer)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ṛṣi

ṛṣi - sage, seer, inspired poet

एकाग्रस्ताम् (ekāgrastām) - Describing the woman who was engaged in austerities or deep thought. (concentrated, one-pointed, standing with focused attention)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of ekāgrastā

ekāgrastā - one-pointed, concentrated (feminine)

Compound of `eka-agra` (one-pointed) and `stha` (standing/situated)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (eka-agra+sthā)

• eka – one, single
  numeral
• agra – tip, front, chief, foremost
  noun (neuter)
• sthā – to stand, to be situated, to remain
  verb (feminine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root sthā with feminine ending -ā
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Adjective modifying 'striyam'.

स्त्रियम् (striyam) - The specific woman being addressed by the sage. (woman, wife)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of strī

strī - woman, female

Note: Object of the verb 'abhāṣata'.

प्रति (prati) - Indicates the direction of speech, "addressed towards". (towards, to, against)

(indeclinable)

Often used as a prefix (upasarga) but here as a separate preposition/adverb.

Note: Preposition governing 'striyam'.

अभाषत (abhāṣata) - spoke, addressed

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, imperfect (laṅ) of bhāṣ

Imperfect middle third person singular

From root bhāṣ (1st class, ātmanepada) with augment 'a-' for imperfect tense.

Root: bhāṣ (class 1)

Note: The prefix `prati` is used with this verb (pratyabhāṣata).

आस्यताम् (āsyatām) - An invitation to sit. (let it be sat, please sit down)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, imperative (loṭ) of ās

Imperative passive third person singular

From root ās (2nd class, ātmanepada), with passive stem `āsya-` and imperative ending `-tām`.

Root: ās (class 2)

Note: The imperative passive conveys a polite request.

रुचिरम् (ruciram) - "comfortably" or "at your pleasure". (beautiful, pleasing, agreeable, comfortably)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rucira

rucira - beautiful, pleasing, agreeable

Root: ruc (class 1)

Note: Adverbial usage modifying the act of sitting, meaning "pleasingly" or "comfortably".

छन्दः (chandaḥ) - "as you wish", "at your pleasure". (wish, will, desire, metre)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of chanda

chanda - wish, will, desire, metre

Root: chand

Note: Functions adverbially here in the nominative.

किम् (kim) - "What is it?" (what?, why?, whether)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who?, what?, which?

Note: Functions as "what" in "what is the task".

वा (vā) - "or" (or, either)

(indeclinable)

कार्यम् (kāryam) - "what task" (work, task, duty, to be done)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - work, task, duty, that which is to be done

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

From root kṛ + suffix -ya.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Functions as a noun here.

ब्रवीहि (bravīhi) - "tell me" (tell, speak)

(verb)

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

Imperative active second person singular

From root brū (2nd class, parasmaipada)

Root: brū (class 2)

मे (me) - "to me" or "for me" (dative/genitive) (to me, my, for me)

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Here used in dative sense: "tell to me".