महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-21, verse-18

अष्टावक्र उवाच ।
स्वतन्त्रा त्वं कथं भद्रे ब्रूहि कारणमत्र वै ।
नास्ति लोके हि काचित्स्त्री या वै स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति ॥१८॥

18. aṣṭāvakra uvāca ,
svatantrā tvaṁ kathaṁ bhadre brūhi kāraṇamatra vai ,
nāsti loke hi kācitstrī yā vai svātantryamarhati.

18. aṣṭāvakra uvāca svatantrā tvam katham bhadre brūhi kāraṇam
atra vai na asti loke hi kācit strī yā vai svātantryam arhati

18. aṣṭāvakra uvāca bhadre tvam katham svatantrā atra kāraṇam
brūhi vai hi loke kācit strī na asti yā vai svātantryam arhati

18. Aṣṭāvakra said: 'How are you independent, O gentle lady? Tell me the reason for this. For there is indeed no woman in the world who truly deserves independence.'

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टावक्र (aṣṭāvakra) - Aṣṭāvakra (Aṣṭāvakra (proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• स्वतन्त्रा (svatantrā) - independent (independent, self-governing, free)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, why)

• भद्रे (bhadre) - O gentle lady (O gentle one, O noble lady, O auspicious one)

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

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - reason (cause, reason, motive)

• अत्र (atra) - in this matter (here, in this place, in this matter)

• वै (vai) - indeed (indeed, certainly, surely)

• न (na) - not (not, no, nor)

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• लोके (loke) - in the world (in the world, in people)

• हि (hi) - for (for, indeed, because)

• काचित् (kācit) - any (woman) (any, some, a certain (feminine))

• स्त्री (strī) - woman (woman, wife, female)

• या (yā) - who (who, which (feminine))

• वै (vai) - truly (indeed, certainly, surely)

• स्वातन्त्र्यम् (svātantryam) - independence (independence, freedom, self-rule)

• अर्हति (arhati) - deserves (deserves, is worthy of, ought, can)

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टावक्र (aṣṭāvakra) - Aṣṭāvakra (Aṣṭāvakra (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭāvakra

aṣṭāvakra - having eight bends/deformities, Aṣṭāvakra (name of a sage)

Compound meaning 'eight-bent'

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (aṣṭā+vakra)

• aṣṭā – eight
  numeral
• vakra – bend, curve, crookedness
  noun (masculine)

Note: Speaker of the following verse.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular active of √vac (root also brū).

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Standard verb for 'said'.

स्वतन्त्रा (svatantrā) - independent (independent, self-governing, free)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of svatantra

svatantra - independent, self-governing, free

compound

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sva+tantra)

• sva – own, self
  adjective
• tantra – loom, thread, system, doctrine, rule
  noun (neuter)

Note: Predicative adjective for 'you'.

त्वम् (tvam) - you

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of tvam

tvam - you

Note: Subject of the question.

कथम् (katham) - how (how, why)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb

Note: Introduces a question about manner.

भद्रे (bhadre) - O gentle lady (O gentle one, O noble lady, O auspicious one)

(noun)

Vocative, feminine, singular of bhadrā

bhadrā - gentle, auspicious, good, noble woman

Feminine form, vocative singular.

Note: Address to the woman.

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

(verb)

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

Imperative Active

2nd class verb. Conjugated in 2nd person singular imperative active.

Root: brū (class 2)

Note: Commands the woman to explain.

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - reason (cause, reason, motive)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, motive, instrument

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Refers to the cause of her independence.

अत्र (atra) - in this matter (here, in this place, in this matter)

(indeclinable)

locative of demonstrative stem a-

Note: Modifies 'reason'.

वै (vai) - indeed (indeed, certainly, surely)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

Note: Reinforces the request.

न (na) - not (not, no, nor)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Present Active

2nd class verb. Conjugated in 3rd person singular present active.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Implies existence.

लोके (loke) - in the world (in the world, in people)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, people, region

Note: Specifies the location.

हि (hi) - for (for, indeed, because)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic or explanatory particle

Note: Explanatory particle.

काचित् (kācit) - any (woman) (any, some, a certain (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kācid

kācid - any, some, a certain

Indefinite pronoun, feminine nominative singular, composed of kim + cid.

Note: Indefinite pronoun.

स्त्री (strī) - woman (woman, wife, female)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of strī

strī - woman, wife, female

या (yā) - who (who, which (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Relative pronoun, feminine nominative singular

Note: Introduces a relative clause.

वै (vai) - truly (indeed, certainly, surely)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

Note: Emphasizes the claim.

स्वातन्त्र्यम् (svātantryam) - independence (independence, freedom, self-rule)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of svātantrya

svātantrya - independence, freedom, self-rule

derived from svatantra, abstract noun

Note: Abstract noun.

अर्हति (arhati) - deserves (deserves, is worthy of, ought, can)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of arh

Present Active

1st class verb. Conjugated in 3rd person singular present active.

Root: arh (class 1)