महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-23, verse-24

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
किं परं ब्रह्मचर्यस्य किं परं धर्मलक्षणम् ।
किं च श्रेष्ठतमं शौचं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥२४॥

24. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kiṁ paraṁ brahmacaryasya kiṁ paraṁ dharmalakṣaṇam ,
kiṁ ca śreṣṭhatamaṁ śaucaṁ tanme brūhi pitāmaha.

24. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kim param brahmacaryasya kim param
dharmalakṣaṇam kim ca śreṣṭhatamam śaucam tat me brūhi pitāmaha

24. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca pitāmaha kim brahmacaryasya param kim
dharmalakṣaṇam param ca kim śaucam śreṣṭhatamam tat me brūhi

24. Yudhishthira said: 'What is the highest aspect of celibacy (brahmacarya)? What is the supreme characteristic of natural law (dharma)? And what is the most excellent purity? Please tell that to me, O grandfather.'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• किम् (kim) - what (what, which, why)

• परम् (param) - highest aspect (highest, supreme, ultimate, excellent)

• ब्रह्मचर्यस्य (brahmacaryasya) - of celibacy, of sacred studentship

• किम् (kim) - what (what, which, why)

• परम् (param) - supreme (highest, supreme, ultimate, excellent)

• धर्मलक्षणम् (dharmalakṣaṇam) - characteristic of natural law (dharma) (characteristic of dharma, sign of righteousness)

• किम् (kim) - what (what, which, why)

• च (ca) - and

• श्रेष्ठतमम् (śreṣṭhatamam) - most excellent (most excellent, best)

• शौचम् (śaucam) - purity, cleanliness

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to the answers to the questions) (that, it)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell (tell, say)

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (addressed to Bhishma) (O grandfather)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle (name of the eldest Pandava brother)

Compound: yudhi (in battle) + sthira (firm, steady).

Compound type : aluk-ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (yudh+sthira)

• yudh – battle, fight
  noun (feminine)
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)
  From root sthā (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect active

Perfect tense, active voice, 3rd person singular, irregular formation.

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what (what, which, why)

(interrogative pronoun)

परम् (param) - highest aspect (highest, supreme, ultimate, excellent)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of para

para - distant, other, subsequent, highest, supreme, ultimate

ब्रह्मचर्यस्य (brahmacaryasya) - of celibacy, of sacred studentship

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of brahmacarya

brahmacarya - religious studentship, celibacy, sacred study, a stage of life (āśrama)

Derived from 'brahmacārin'.

किम् (kim) - what (what, which, why)

(interrogative pronoun)

परम् (param) - supreme (highest, supreme, ultimate, excellent)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of para

para - distant, other, subsequent, highest, supreme, ultimate

धर्मलक्षणम् (dharmalakṣaṇam) - characteristic of natural law (dharma) (characteristic of dharma, sign of righteousness)

(noun)

neuter, singular of dharmalakṣaṇa

dharmalakṣaṇa - characteristic of dharma, sign of religious merit

Compound: dharma (natural law) + lakṣaṇa (characteristic).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+lakṣaṇa)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty, virtue, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
• lakṣaṇa – mark, sign, characteristic, definition
  noun (neuter)

किम् (kim) - what (what, which, why)

(interrogative pronoun)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

श्रेष्ठतमम् (śreṣṭhatamam) - most excellent (most excellent, best)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of śreṣṭhatama

śreṣṭhatama - most excellent, best, noblest

Superlative degree

Superlative of śreṣṭha (excellent), derived from praśasya (praiseworthy).

Note: Superlative adjective.

शौचम् (śaucam) - purity, cleanliness

(noun)

neuter, singular of śauca

śauca - purity, cleanliness (physical or mental)

Derived from śuci (pure).

तत् (tat) - that (referring to the answers to the questions) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Object of 'brūhi'.

मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

(pronoun)

singular of aham

aham - I

Note: Enclitic form of 'mama' (genitive) or 'mahyam' (dative). Here dative is more appropriate.

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell (tell, say)

(verb)

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

imperative active

Imperative mood, active voice, 2nd person singular, irregular formation.

Root: brū (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (addressed to Bhishma) (O grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather, creator (Brahma)

Compound: pitṛ (father) + maha (great, in the sense of 'great father').

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pitṛ+maha)

• pitṛ – father
  noun (masculine)
• maha – great, large, illustrious
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Term of address for Bhishma.