महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-44, verse-5

आत्माभिप्रेतमुत्सृज्य कन्याभिप्रेत एव यः ।
अभिप्रेता च या यस्य तस्मै देया युधिष्ठिर ।
गान्धर्वमिति तं धर्मं प्राहुर्धर्मविदो जनाः ॥५॥

5. ātmābhipretamutsṛjya kanyābhipreta eva yaḥ ,
abhipretā ca yā yasya tasmai deyā yudhiṣṭhira ,
gāndharvamiti taṁ dharmaṁ prāhurdharmavido janāḥ.

5. ātma abhipretam utsṛjya kanyā abhipretaḥ
eva yaḥ abhipretā ca yā yasya
tasmai deyā yudhiṣṭhira gāndharvam iti
tam dharmam prāhuḥ dharmavidaḥ janāḥ

5. yudhiṣṭhira yaḥ ātma abhipretam utsṛjya
kanyā abhipretaḥ eva ca yā yasya
abhipretā tasmai deyā dharmavidaḥ
janāḥ tam gāndharvam dharmam iti prāhuḥ

5. O Yudhiṣṭhira, a man who, abandoning his own preference, is indeed desired by the maiden, and she who is desired by him – to such a man, she should be given. Those who understand natural law (dharma) declare that this is the Gāndharva form of marriage (dharma).

Words meanings summery:

• आत्म (ātma) - self, soul, spirit, oneself

• अभिप्रेतम् (abhipretam) - one's own preference or desire (desired, intended, wished for)

• उत्सृज्य (utsṛjya) - having abandoned, having given up

• कन्या (kanyā) - by the maiden (maiden, girl, daughter)

• अभिप्रेतः (abhipretaḥ) - desired (by the maiden) (desired, intended, wished for)

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed, very

• यः (yaḥ) - he who (who, which)

• अभिप्रेता (abhipretā) - she who is desired (by him) (desired, intended, wished for)

• च (ca) - and, also

• या (yā) - she who (who, which)

• यस्य (yasya) - by whom (the man) (whose, of whom)

• तस्मै (tasmai) - to such a man (to him, for him, to that)

• देया (deyā) - should be given, ought to be given

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - O Yudhiṣṭhira (vocative) (Yudhiṣṭhira)

• गान्धर्वम् (gāndharvam) - the Gāndharva form of marriage (relating to Gandharvas)

• इति (iti) - marking a quote or definition (thus, so, in this manner)

• तम् (tam) - that (form of marriage) (that, him, it)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - form of marriage (dharma) (natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, specific duty)

• प्राहुः (prāhuḥ) - they say, they declare

• धर्मविदः (dharmavidaḥ) - knowers of dharma, those who understand natural law

• जनाः (janāḥ) - people, men

Words meanings and morphology

आत्म (ātma) - self, soul, spirit, oneself

(noun)

masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence

Note: Used as the first part of a compound 'ātma-abhipretam'.

अभिप्रेतम् (abhipretam) - one's own preference or desire (desired, intended, wished for)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of abhipreta

abhipreta - desired, intended, wished for

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'i' (to go) with prefixes 'abhi' and 'pra', and 'kta' suffix.

Prefixes: abhi+pra

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Functions as a substantive meaning 'the desired thing/preference'. Forms a compound 'ātmābhipretam'.

उत्सृज्य (utsṛjya) - having abandoned, having given up

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Derived from root 'sṛj' (to create, to abandon) with prefix 'ut', and 'lyaP' suffix.

Prefix: ut

Root: sṛj (class 6)

कन्या (kanyā) - by the maiden (maiden, girl, daughter)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kanyā

kanyā - maiden, girl, daughter

Note: Functions as an agent in a passive construction: 'desired by the maiden'.

अभिप्रेतः (abhipretaḥ) - desired (by the maiden) (desired, intended, wished for)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of abhipreta

abhipreta - desired, intended, wished for

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'i' (to go) with prefixes 'abhi' and 'pra', and 'kta' suffix.

Prefixes: abhi+pra

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Refers to the man who is desired by the maiden.

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed, very

(indeclinable)

यः (yaḥ) - he who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

अभिप्रेता (abhipretā) - she who is desired (by him) (desired, intended, wished for)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of abhipreta

abhipreta - desired, intended, wished for

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'i' (to go) with prefixes 'abhi' and 'pra', and 'kta' suffix.

Prefixes: abhi+pra

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Refers to the maiden who is desired by the man.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

या (yā) - she who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

यस्य (yasya) - by whom (the man) (whose, of whom)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Used as an agent in a passive construction: 'desired by him'.

तस्मै (tasmai) - to such a man (to him, for him, to that)

(pronoun)

Dative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

देया (deyā) - should be given, ought to be given

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of deya

deya - to be given, fit to be given

Gerundive (Passive Future Participle)

Derived from root 'dā' (to give) with 'yat' suffix.

Root: dā (class 3)

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - O Yudhiṣṭhira (vocative) (Yudhiṣṭhira)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (steadfast in battle)

गान्धर्वम् (gāndharvam) - the Gāndharva form of marriage (relating to Gandharvas)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of gāndharva

gāndharva - relating to Gandharvas; a type of marriage where the bride and groom choose each other by mutual agreement

Derived from 'gandharva' (celestial musician) + 'aṇ' suffix.

Note: Used here as a substantive to denote the specific type of marriage.

इति (iti) - marking a quote or definition (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

तम् (tam) - that (form of marriage) (that, him, it)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'dharmam'.

धर्मम् (dharmam) - form of marriage (dharma) (natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, specific duty)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, custom, form of marriage

प्राहुः (prāhuḥ) - they say, they declare

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (liṭ) of prāhu

Present Active

3rd person plural, perfect tense form (liṭ) used in a present sense; derived from root 'brū' (to speak) with prefix 'pra'.

Prefix: pra

Root: brū (class 2)

धर्मविदः (dharmavidaḥ) - knowers of dharma, those who understand natural law

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dharmavid

dharmavid - knower of dharma, one who understands natural law or righteousness

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+vid)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
• vid – knower, understanding, wise
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root 'vid' (to know).
  Root: vid (class 2)

जनाः (janāḥ) - people, men

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jana

jana - person, man, creature, folk