महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-31, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
श्रुतं मे महदाख्यानमेतत्कुरुकुलोद्वह ।
सुदुष्प्रापं ब्रवीषि त्वं ब्राह्मण्यं वदतां वर ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
śrutaṁ me mahadākhyānametatkurukulodvaha ,
suduṣprāpaṁ bravīṣi tvaṁ brāhmaṇyaṁ vadatāṁ vara.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca śrutam me mahat ākhyānam etat
kurukulodvaha suduṣprāpam bravīṣi tvam brāhmaṇyam vadatām vara

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kurukulodvaha etat mahat ākhyānam me
śrutam tvam vara vadatām bravīṣi brāhmaṇyam suduṣprāpam

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'O upholder of the Kuru lineage, I have heard this great narrative. You, O best among speakers, declare that brahminhood (brāhmaṇyam) is extremely difficult to attain.'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira (speaker) (Yudhiṣṭhira (proper noun))

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

• श्रुतम् (śrutam) - heard (heard, listened, reported)

• मे (me) - by me (agent of action 'heard') (by me, to me, my)

• महत् (mahat) - great (great, large, important)

• आख्यानम् (ākhyānam) - narrative (narrative, story, tale, account)

• एतत् (etat) - this

• कुरुकुलोद्वह (kurukulodvaha) - O upholder of the Kuru lineage (vocative, addressing Bhīṣma or another Kuru elder) (O upholder of the Kuru lineage, O best of the Kuru family)

• सुदुष्प्रापम् (suduṣprāpam) - extremely difficult to attain (very difficult to obtain, extremely hard to attain)

• ब्रवीषि (bravīṣi) - you declare (you say, you speak, you declare)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (referring to the speaker addressing Yudhiṣṭhira, presumably Bhīṣma) (you)

• ब्राह्मण्यम् (brāhmaṇyam) - brahminhood (brāhmaṇyam) (brahminhood, the state or status of a brahmin)

• वदताम् (vadatām) - among speakers (of speakers, among those who speak)

• वर (vara) - O best (best, excellent, boon)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira (speaker) (Yudhiṣṭhira (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (eldest of the Pāṇḍavas, steady in battle)

Compound of 'yudhi' (in battle) and 'sthira' (firm, steady).

Note: The visarga is dropped in the Devanagari text due to sandhi with following 'u'.

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

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice of √vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: The root is 'vac' (to speak).

श्रुतम् (śrutam) - heard (heard, listened, reported)

(Past Passive Participle)

Note: Used impersonally or with 'me' in dative/genitive.

मे (me) - by me (agent of action 'heard') (by me, to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, my, me

Note: Used here in the sense of 'by me' (agent in passive construction).

महत् (mahat) - great (great, large, important)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, important, mighty

Note: Agrees with 'ākhyānam'.

आख्यानम् (ākhyānam) - narrative (narrative, story, tale, account)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ākhyāna

ākhyāna - narrative, story, tale, account, legend

From √khyā (to tell, relate) with prefix 'ā'.

Prefix: ā

Root: khyā (class 2)

Note: Subject of 'śrutam' (is heard).

एतत् (etat) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Agrees with 'ākhyānam'.

कुरुकुलोद्वह (kurukulodvaha) - O upholder of the Kuru lineage (vocative, addressing Bhīṣma or another Kuru elder) (O upholder of the Kuru lineage, O best of the Kuru family)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of kurukulodvaha

kurukulodvaha - upholder of the Kuru lineage, one who carries (on) the Kuru family

Tatpuruṣa compound: 'kuru' (Kuru) + 'kula' (family, lineage) + 'udvaha' (upholder, carrier).

Compound type : tatpurusha (kuru+kula+udvaha)

• kuru – Kuru (name of an ancient king and his dynasty)
  proper noun (masculine)
• kula – family, lineage, race
  noun (neuter)
• udvaha – carrier, upholder, one who bears or conveys
  noun (masculine)
  From prefix 'ud' + √vah (to carry).
  Prefix: ud
  Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Sandhi between 'kula' and 'udvaha' is internal to the compound.

सुदुष्प्रापम् (suduṣprāpam) - extremely difficult to attain (very difficult to obtain, extremely hard to attain)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of suduṣprāpa

suduṣprāpa - very difficult to obtain, extremely hard to attain

Compound of 'su' (very, intensely) and 'duṣprāpa' (difficult to obtain).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+duṣprāpa)

• su – good, well, very, excellent
  indeclinable
• duṣprāpa – difficult to obtain, hard to reach or attain
  adjective (masculine)
  Compound of 'dus' (bad, difficult) and 'prāpa' (attainable, from root 'āp' with prefix 'pra').

Note: Agrees with 'brāhmaṇyam' (neuter, singular, accusative, as it's the object of what 'you say').

ब्रवीषि (bravīṣi) - you declare (you say, you speak, you declare)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (lat) of brū

Present Active

Present tense, 2nd person singular, active voice of √brū (alternate root √vac).

Root: brū (class 2)

Note: The root is 'brū' (to speak).

त्वम् (tvam) - you (referring to the speaker addressing Yudhiṣṭhira, presumably Bhīṣma) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular)

Note: Subject of 'bravīṣi'.

ब्राह्मण्यम् (brāhmaṇyam) - brahminhood (brāhmaṇyam) (brahminhood, the state or status of a brahmin)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of brāhmaṇya

brāhmaṇya - brahminhood, the state or status of a brahmin, pertaining to brahmins

Derived from 'brāhmaṇa' (brahmin) with the suffix '-ya' indicating 'state of being'.

Note: Object of 'bravīṣi' (you declare brahminhood).

वदताम् (vadatām) - among speakers (of speakers, among those who speak)

(Present Active Participle)

Note: Used with 'vara' in the sense of 'best among speakers'.

वर (vara) - O best (best, excellent, boon)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, superior; a boon, a choice

From √vṛ (to choose).

Root: vṛ (class 1)

Note: Vocative, addressing the person Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking to.