महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-22, verse-2

भीष्म उवाच ।
अष्टावक्रोऽन्वपृच्छत्तां रूपं विकुरुषे कथम् ।
न चानृतं ते वक्तव्यं ब्रूहि ब्राह्मणकाम्यया ॥२॥

2. bhīṣma uvāca ,
aṣṭāvakro'nvapṛcchattāṁ rūpaṁ vikuruṣe katham ,
na cānṛtaṁ te vaktavyaṁ brūhi brāhmaṇakāmyayā.

2. bhīṣma uvāca aṣṭāvakraḥ anvapṛcchat tām rūpam vikuruṣe
katham na ca anṛtam te vaktavyam brūhi brāhmaṇakāmyayā

2. bhīṣma uvāca aṣṭāvakraḥ tām anvapṛcchat,
"katham rūpam vikuruṣe? ca anṛtam te na vaktavyam brāhmaṇakāmyayā brūhi "

2. Bhīṣma said: 'Aṣṭāvakra asked her, "How do you assume this form? And no untruth should be spoken by you. Speak, out of your desire to please a Brahmin."'

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma (name of the grand-uncle of the Kuru princes)

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

• अष्टावक्रः (aṣṭāvakraḥ) - Aṣṭāvakra (name of a sage)

• अन्वपृच्छत् (anvapṛcchat) - he asked

• ताम् (tām) - her (her, that (feminine accusative))

• रूपम् (rūpam) - form (form, appearance, beauty)

• विकुरुषे (vikuruṣe) - you assume (this form) (you make, you do, you change, you deform)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what way

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• अनृतम् (anṛtam) - untruth (untruth, falsehood, lie)

• ते (te) - by you (by you, to you, for you, your)

• वक्तव्यम् (vaktavyam) - should be spoken (to be spoken, should be said)

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

• ब्राह्मणकाम्यया (brāhmaṇakāmyayā) - out of your desire to please a Brahmin (by desire for a Brahmin, with a Brahmin's desire, wishing for a Brahmin)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma (name of the grand-uncle of the Kuru princes)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - formidable, terrible; a proper name

From root bhī (to fear), meaning 'causing fear'.

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

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

(verb)

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

perfect

Root vac, perfect 3rd person singular active.

Root: vac (class 2)

अष्टावक्रः (aṣṭāvakraḥ) - Aṣṭāvakra (name of a sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭāvakra

aṣṭāvakra - eight-crooked (a proper name for a sage born with eight deformities)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (aṣṭa+vakra)

• aṣṭa – eight
  numeral
• vakra – bent, crooked, curved
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Subject of 'anvapṛcchat'.

अन्वपृच्छत् (anvapṛcchat) - he asked

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect past (laṅ) of anvapṛch

imperfect

Root prach with upasarga anu. 3rd person singular imperfect active.

Prefix: anu

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: anu-prach (to follow-ask, to inquire).

ताम् (tām) - her (her, that (feminine accusative))

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Object of 'anvapṛcchat'.

रूपम् (rūpam) - form (form, appearance, beauty)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of rūpa

rūpa - form, shape, appearance, beauty, nature

विकुरुषे (vikuruṣe) - you assume (this form) (you make, you do, you change, you deform)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of vikṛ

present

Root kṛ with upasarga vi. 2nd person singular present middle voice.

Prefix: vi

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: vi-kṛ (to do variously, to change).

कथम् (katham) - how, in what way

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

अनृतम् (anṛtam) - untruth (untruth, falsehood, lie)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of anṛta

anṛta - untruth, falsehood, lie; not true

Negative compound (nañ-tatpuruṣa) of ṛta (truth).

Compound type : nañ-tatpurusha (a+ṛta)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• ṛta – truth, cosmic order, right
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root ṛ (to go, to move), meaning 'that which is ordered/right'.
  Root: ṛ (class 1)

Note: Object of 'vaktavyam'.

ते (te) - by you (by you, to you, for you, your)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

Enclitic pronominal form.

Note: Agent of the gerundive 'vaktavyam'.

वक्तव्यम् (vaktavyam) - should be spoken (to be spoken, should be said)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vaktavya

vaktavya - to be spoken, should be said, fit to be spoken

gerundive

From root vac with suffix tavya.

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Predicative.

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

(verb)

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

imperative

Root brū, 2nd person singular imperative active.

Root: brū (class 2)

ब्राह्मणकाम्यया (brāhmaṇakāmyayā) - out of your desire to please a Brahmin (by desire for a Brahmin, with a Brahmin's desire, wishing for a Brahmin)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of brāhmaṇakāmyā

brāhmaṇakāmyā - desire for a Brahmin, wish concerning a Brahmin, desire to please a Brahmin

Compound.

Compound type : tatpurusha (brāhmaṇa+kāmyā)

• brāhmaṇa – a Brahmin, relating to Brahmins
  noun (masculine)
• kāmyā – desire, wish, longing
  noun (feminine)
  From root kam (to desire).
  Root: kam (class 1)