महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-33, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
किं राज्ञः सर्वकृत्यानां गरीयः स्यात्पितामह ।
किं कुर्वन्कर्म नृपतिरुभौ लोकौ समश्नुते ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kiṁ rājñaḥ sarvakṛtyānāṁ garīyaḥ syātpitāmaha ,
kiṁ kurvankarma nṛpatirubhau lokau samaśnute.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kim rājñaḥ sarvakṛtyānām garīyaḥ syāt
pitāmaha kim kurvan karma nṛpatiḥ ubhau lokau samaśnute

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O Grandfather, what is the most significant (garīyaḥ) among all the duties of a king? By performing what action (karma) does a ruler attain both worlds?”

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• किम् (kim) - what?, which?

• राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - of a king

• सर्वकृत्यानाम् (sarvakṛtyānām) - among all the duties (among all duties, of all actions)

• गरीयः (garīyaḥ) - most important, most significant (heavier, more important, greater)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be (it would be, may it be)

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O Bhīṣma (O grandfather)

• किम् (kim) - what (action) (what?, which?)

• कुर्वन् (kurvan) - by performing (doing, performing)

• कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, ritual, fate)

• नृपतिः (nṛpatiḥ) - ruler (king, lord of men)

• उभौ (ubhau) - both (masculine/feminine dual)

• लोकौ (lokau) - two worlds, both worlds

• समश्नुते (samaśnute) - he attains (he attains, he reaches fully, he enjoys)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

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

Compound type : aluk-tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle (locative of yudh)
  noun (feminine)
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

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

Root vac (2nd class, Parasmaipada)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Perfect tense form.

किम् (kim) - what?, which?

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, which?, why?

राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - of a king

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Note: Also could be ablative. Genitive fits context.

सर्वकृत्यानाम् (sarvakṛtyānām) - among all the duties (among all duties, of all actions)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of sarvakṛtya

sarvakṛtya - all duties, all actions, all tasks

Compound type : karmadhāraya (sarva+kṛtya)

• sarva – all, every, whole
  adjective
• kṛtya – duty, action, task, what should be done
  noun (neuter)
  gerundive
  From root kṛ with -tya suffix
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Genitive plural used for 'among'.

गरीयः (garīyaḥ) - most important, most significant (heavier, more important, greater)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of guru

guru - heavy, important, venerable, teacher

Comparative/superlative form of guru

Note: Comparative degree used in a superlative sense (among all).

स्यात् (syāt) - would be (it would be, may it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of as

Root as (2nd class, Parasmaipada)

Root: as (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O Bhīṣma (O grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather, Brahmā

किम् (kim) - what (action) (what?, which?)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, which?, why?

Note: Accusative singular, agreeing with 'karma'.

कुर्वन् (kurvan) - by performing (doing, performing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kṛ

kṛ - to do, to make, to perform

Present Active Participle

From root kṛ (8th class, Ubhayapada)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Present Active Participle, refers to 'nṛpatiḥ'.

कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, ritual, fate)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, ritual, fate

action noun

From root kṛ- (to do) with -man suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Refers to the specific action being performed.

नृपतिः (nṛpatiḥ) - ruler (king, lord of men)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nṛpati

nṛpati - king, ruler, lord of men

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (nṛ+pati)

• nṛ – man, human
  noun (masculine)
• pati – lord, master, husband
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of the verb.

उभौ (ubhau) - both (masculine/feminine dual)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of ubha

ubha - both

Note: Refers to 'lokau'.

लोकौ (lokau) - two worlds, both worlds

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of loka

loka - world, realm, people

Note: 'Both worlds' generally refers to this world and the next (heaven).

समश्नुते (samaśnute) - he attains (he attains, he reaches fully, he enjoys)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of sam-aś

Root aś (5th class, Ātmanepada) with upasarga sam

Prefix: sam

Root: aś (class 5)