महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-44, verse-40

ततोऽहमब्रुवं राजन्नाचारेप्सुरिदं वचः ।
आचारं तत्त्वतो वेत्तुमिच्छामीति पुनः पुनः ॥४०॥

40. tato'hamabruvaṁ rājannācārepsuridaṁ vacaḥ ,
ācāraṁ tattvato vettumicchāmīti punaḥ punaḥ.

40. tataḥ aham abruvam rājan ācārepsuḥ idam vacaḥ
ācāram tattvataḥ vettum icchāmi iti punaḥ punaḥ

40. tataḥ rājan ācārepsuḥ aham idam vacaḥ abruvam
iti ācāram tattvataḥ vettum icchāmi punaḥ punaḥ

40. Then, O King, I, desiring proper conduct, spoke these words: 'I wish to know the proper conduct in its true essence again and again.'

Words meanings summery:

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereupon, from that

• अहम् (aham) - I (Ambā, the speaker) (I, me)

• अब्रुवम् (abruvam) - (Ambā) said (I spoke, I said)

• राजन् (rājan) - O Bhīṣma (addressed as king) (O king)

• आचारेप्सुः (ācārepsuḥ) - (I, Ambā) desiring proper conduct (desiring proper conduct)

• इदम् (idam) - these (words) (this)

• वचः (vacaḥ) - these words (word, speech, statement)

• आचारम् (ācāram) - proper conduct (in my situation) (conduct, custom, proper conduct)

• तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - in its true essence, truthfully (truly, in reality, essentially)

• वेत्तुम् (vettum) - to know, to understand

• इच्छामि (icchāmi) - (I) wish (I wish, I desire)

• इति (iti) - marking the end of a quote (thus, so saying)

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, repeatedly, moreover

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again and again (again, repeatedly, moreover)

Words meanings and morphology

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereupon, from that

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I (Ambā, the speaker) (I, me)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I, me

अब्रुवम् (abruvam) - (Ambā) said (I spoke, I said)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of √brū

Imperfect 1st person singular

Root: brū (class 2)

राजन् (rājan) - O Bhīṣma (addressed as king) (O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

आचारेप्सुः (ācārepsuḥ) - (I, Ambā) desiring proper conduct (desiring proper conduct)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ācārepsu

ācārepsu - desirous of good conduct, wishing to know the right course of action

Compound type : tatpurusha (ācāra+īpsu)

• ācāra – conduct, custom, practice, tradition, proper behavior
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: car (class 1)
• īpsu – desirous of, wishing to obtain
  adjective
  Desiderative suffix + u-stem
  from desiderative of root āp (to obtain) + u suffix
  Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Declined to agree with 'aham' (feminine here as speaker is Ambā).

इदम् (idam) - these (words) (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, these

Note: Agrees with 'vacaḥ'.

वचः (vacaḥ) - these words (word, speech, statement)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vacas

vacas - word, speech, statement

Note: Object of 'abruvam'.

आचारम् (ācāram) - proper conduct (in my situation) (conduct, custom, proper conduct)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ācāra

ācāra - conduct, custom, practice, tradition, proper behavior

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Object of 'vettum icchāmi'.

तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - in its true essence, truthfully (truly, in reality, essentially)

(indeclinable)

from tattva + tas (suffix for 'from, according to')

Note: Modifies 'vettum'.

वेत्तुम् (vettum) - to know, to understand

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

from root vid + tumun (infinitive suffix)

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Functions as infinitive complement to 'icchāmi'.

इच्छामि (icchāmi) - (I) wish (I wish, I desire)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (lat) of √iṣ

Present 1st person singular

Root: iṣ (class 6)

इति (iti) - marking the end of a quote (thus, so saying)

(indeclinable)

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, repeatedly, moreover

(indeclinable)

पुनः (punaḥ) - again and again (again, repeatedly, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used in repetition for emphasis.