महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-44, verse-2

भीष्म उवाच ।
अयं हि सर्वधर्माणां धर्मश्चिन्त्यतमो मतः ।
कीदृशाय प्रदेया स्यात्कन्येति वसुधाधिप ॥२॥

2. bhīṣma uvāca ,
ayaṁ hi sarvadharmāṇāṁ dharmaścintyatamo mataḥ ,
kīdṛśāya pradeyā syātkanyeti vasudhādhipa.

2. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca | ayam hi sarva-dharmāṇām dharmaḥ cintyatamaḥ
mataḥ | kīdṛśāya pradeyā syāt kanyā iti vasudhādhipa

2. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca he vasudhādhipa,
sarva-dharmāṇām ayam hi cintyatamaḥ dharmaḥ mataḥ kīdṛśāya kanyā pradeyā syāt iti

2. Bhishma said: Indeed, among all duties (dharma), this particular (topic) is considered most worthy of reflection. "To what kind of man should a daughter be given?" – thus is the question, O ruler of the earth.

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma (name of a prominent character in Mahabharata)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• अयम् (ayam) - this (referring to the topic of marriage/giving a daughter) (this, this one)

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely (indeed, surely, for, because)

• सर्व-धर्माणाम् (sarva-dharmāṇām) - of all principles of righteous conduct (dharma) (of all (natural) laws, of all duties)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - this duty, this principle (regarding marriage) (duty, righteousness, law, virtue)

• चिन्त्यतमः (cintyatamaḥ) - most profound (duty), most to be pondered (most worthy of reflection, most important, most to be thought about)

• मतः (mataḥ) - considered (to be so) (considered, thought, opined)

• कीदृशाय (kīdṛśāya) - to what kind of man (groom) (to what kind of, to what sort of)

• प्रदेया (pradeyā) - should be given (to be given, fit to be given)

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

• कन्या (kanyā) - a daughter (for marriage) (daughter, girl, maiden)

• इति (iti) - thus (marking Yudhishthira's implied question) (thus, so, in this way (marker for direct speech or thought))

• वसुधाधिप (vasudhādhipa) - O ruler of the earth (addressing Yudhishthira) (O ruler of the earth, O king)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma (name of a prominent character in Mahabharata)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - formidable, terrible; Bhishma (name)

Root: bhīṣ

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense, active voice, 3rd person singular

Irregular perfect form from root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

अयम् (ayam) - this (referring to the topic of marriage/giving a daughter) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

हि (hi) - indeed, surely (indeed, surely, for, because)

(indeclinable)

सर्व-धर्माणाम् (sarva-dharmāṇām) - of all principles of righteous conduct (dharma) (of all (natural) laws, of all duties)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sarva-dharma

sarva-dharma - all duties, all principles of conduct

Compound type : karmadhāraya (sarva+dharma)

• sarva – all, every, whole
  adjective (masculine)
• dharma – duty, righteousness, law, virtue, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - this duty, this principle (regarding marriage) (duty, righteousness, law, virtue)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - duty, righteousness, law, virtue, intrinsic nature

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: The word 'dharma' is used here in the sense of 'duty' or 'sacred law'.

चिन्त्यतमः (cintyatamaḥ) - most profound (duty), most to be pondered (most worthy of reflection, most important, most to be thought about)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cintyatama

cintyatama - most to be thought about, most important, most worthy of reflection

superlative of cintya (gerundive of cint)

Derived from root 'cint' (to think, consider) + 'ya' (gerundive suffix) + 'tama' (superlative suffix).

Root: cint (class 10)

मतः (mataḥ) - considered (to be so) (considered, thought, opined)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mata

mata - thought, considered, opined, believed

past passive participle

From root man (to think, consider).

Root: man (class 4)

कीदृशाय (kīdṛśāya) - to what kind of man (groom) (to what kind of, to what sort of)

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, singular of kīdṛśa

kīdṛśa - of what kind, of what appearance, such as what

प्रदेया (pradeyā) - should be given (to be given, fit to be given)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pradeya

pradeya - to be given, presentable, fit to be given

gerundive (future passive participle)

From pra- + root dā (to give) + ya (gerundive suffix).

Prefix: pra

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Expresses obligation or suitability.

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

(verb)

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

optative mood, active voice, 3rd person singular

From root as (to be).

Root: as (class 2)

कन्या (kanyā) - a daughter (for marriage) (daughter, girl, maiden)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kanyā

kanyā - girl, maiden, daughter, virgin

इति (iti) - thus (marking Yudhishthira's implied question) (thus, so, in this way (marker for direct speech or thought))

(indeclinable)

वसुधाधिप (vasudhādhipa) - O ruler of the earth (addressing Yudhishthira) (O ruler of the earth, O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vasudhādhipa

vasudhādhipa - ruler of the earth, king

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vasudhā+adhipa)

• vasudhā – earth, wealth-giver
  noun (feminine)
• adhipa – lord, ruler, master
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: adhi
  Root: pā (class 1)