महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-38, verse-9

तामुवाच स देवर्षिः सत्यं वद सुमध्यमे ।
मृषावादे भवेद्दोषः सत्ये दोषो न विद्यते ॥९॥

9. tāmuvāca sa devarṣiḥ satyaṁ vada sumadhyame ,
mṛṣāvāde bhaveddoṣaḥ satye doṣo na vidyate.

9. tām uvāca saḥ devarṣiḥ satyam vada sumadhyame
mṛṣāvāde bhavet doṣaḥ satye doṣaḥ na vidyate

9. saḥ devarṣiḥ tām uvāca,
"sumadhyame,
satyam vada.
mṛṣāvāde doṣaḥ bhavet,
satye doṣaḥ na vidyate.
"

9. That divine sage (devarṣi) said to her: 'O beautiful lady, speak the truth. There is a flaw in speaking falsehood, but no flaw exists in speaking the truth.'

Words meanings summery:

• ताम् (tām) - her, that (feminine)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• देवर्षिः (devarṣiḥ) - the divine sage Nārada (divine sage)

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truth

• वद (vada) - speak! say!

• सुमध्यमे (sumadhyame) - O beautiful lady (literally: O slender-waisted one)

• मृषावादे (mṛṣāvāde) - in false speech, in lying

• भवेत् (bhavet) - there would be, may be, should be

• दोषः (doṣaḥ) - flaw (fault, defect, sin)

• सत्ये (satye) - in truth, in reality

• दोषः (doṣaḥ) - flaw (fault, defect)

• न (na) - not

• विद्यते (vidyate) - exists, is found

Words meanings and morphology

ताम् (tām) - her, that (feminine)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she

Note: Object of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

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

perfect active

from √vac (to speak) reduplicated perfect (lit)

Root: vac (class 2)

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

देवर्षिः (devarṣiḥ) - the divine sage Nārada (divine sage)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of devarṣi

devarṣi - divine sage

Compound type : karmadharaya (deva+ṛṣi)

• deva – god, divine
  noun (masculine)
• ṛṣi – sage, seer
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

सत्यम् (satyam) - truth

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, reality

from sat (being) + ya

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Object of 'vada'.

वद (vada) - speak! say!

(verb)

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

imperative active

from √vad (to speak) + hi (2nd person singular imperative ending)

Root: vad (class 1)

सुमध्यमे (sumadhyame) - O beautiful lady (literally: O slender-waisted one)

(noun)

Vocative, feminine, singular of sumadhyamā

sumadhyamā - a woman with a beautiful waist, elegant woman

Compound type : bahuvrihi (su+madhyamā)

• su – good, well, beautiful
  indeclinable
• madhyamā – middle, waist (as a middle part)
  noun (feminine)

Note: A common address for a lady in classical literature.

मृषावादे (mṛṣāvāde) - in false speech, in lying

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of mṛṣāvāda

mṛṣāvāda - false speech, lie

Compound type : tatpurusha (mṛṣā+vāda)

• mṛṣā – falsely, untruly, in vain
  indeclinable
• vāda – speech, discourse, assertion
  noun (masculine)
  from √vad (to speak) + ghañ
  Root: vad (class 1)

भवेत् (bhavet) - there would be, may be, should be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

optative active

from √bhū (to be) + et (3rd person singular optative ending)

Root: bhū (class 1)

दोषः (doṣaḥ) - flaw (fault, defect, sin)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of doṣa

doṣa - fault, defect, error, sin

from √duṣ (to be faulty) + a

Root: duṣ (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'bhavet' and 'vidyate'.

सत्ये (satye) - in truth, in reality

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, reality

from sat (being) + ya

Root: as (class 2)

दोषः (doṣaḥ) - flaw (fault, defect)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of doṣa

doṣa - fault, defect, error, sin

from √duṣ (to be faulty) + a

Root: duṣ (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'vidyate'.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation particle.

विद्यते (vidyate) - exists, is found

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of vid

present indicative middle

from √vid (to exist, class 4) + te (3rd person singular middle ending)

Root: vid (class 4)