महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-7, verse-2

भीष्म उवाच ।
रहस्यं यदृषीणां तु तच्छृणुष्व युधिष्ठिर ।
या गतिः प्राप्यते येन प्रेत्यभावे चिरेप्सिता ॥२॥

2. bhīṣma uvāca ,
rahasyaṁ yadṛṣīṇāṁ tu tacchṛṇuṣva yudhiṣṭhira ,
yā gatiḥ prāpyate yena pretyabhāve cirepsitā.

2. bhīṣma uvāca rahasyam yat ṛṣīṇām tu tat śṛṇuṣva
yudhiṣṭhira yā gatiḥ prāpyate yena pretyabhāve cira īpsitā

2. Bhishma said: "O Yudhishthira, listen to that secret of the sages, by which one attains a long-desired destination in the afterlife."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma (a proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• रहस्यम् (rahasyam) - secret, mystery

• यत् (yat) - which, that (relative pronoun)

• ऋषीणाम् (ṛṣīṇām) - of the sages, of the seers

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• तत् (tat) - that, therefore

• शृणुष्व (śṛṇuṣva) - listen, hear

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - O Yudhishthira

• या (yā) - which, what (relative pronoun)

• गतिः (gatiḥ) - state, destination, course, path

• प्राप्यते (prāpyate) - is attained, is reached

• येन (yena) - by which (means)

• प्रेत्यभावे (pretyabhāve) - in the state after death, in the afterlife

• चिर (cira) - long, for a long time

• ईप्सिता (īpsitā) - desired, wished for

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (name of a character in the Mahabharata)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Root 'vac' (2nd conjugation), perfect tense, 3rd person singular active. Irregular perfect form from vac-

Root: vac (class 2)

रहस्यम् (rahasyam) - secret, mystery

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of rahasya

rahasya - secret, mystery

Note: Can also be nominative singular. Here, it is the object of 'śṛṇuṣva', so accusative.

यत् (yat) - which, that (relative pronoun)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that (relative pronoun)

Note: Connects to 'rahasyam'.

ऋषीणाम् (ṛṣīṇām) - of the sages, of the seers

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of ṛṣi

ṛṣi - sage, seer

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic or contrasting particle.

तत् (tat) - that, therefore

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that (demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Refers to 'rahasyam'.

शृणुष्व (śṛṇuṣva) - listen, hear

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (lot) of śru

Imperative Middle

Root 'śru' (5th conjugation), imperative mood, 2nd person singular middle voice.

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Addressed to Yudhishthira.

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - O Yudhishthira

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (name of a character in the Mahabharata)

या (yā) - which, what (relative pronoun)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that (relative pronoun)

Note: Agrees with 'gatiḥ'.

गतिः (gatiḥ) - state, destination, course, path

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of gati

gati - movement, course, state, destination, path

verbal noun

From root 'gam' (to go) with suffix 'ti'.

Root: gam (class 1)

प्राप्यते (prāpyate) - is attained, is reached

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (lat) of prāp

Present Passive

Root 'āp' (5th conjugation) with prefix 'pra', present tense, 3rd person singular passive voice. 'pra + āp' > 'prāp'.

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

येन (yena) - by which (means)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what (relative pronoun)

प्रेत्यभावे (pretyabhāve) - in the state after death, in the afterlife

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of pretyabhāva

pretyabhāva - state after death, afterlife, future existence

Compound of 'pretya' (having died, gerund from 'pra-i' 'to die') and 'bhāva' (state of being).

Compound type : tatpurusha (pretya+bhāva)

• pretya – having died, after death
  indeclinable
  absolutive (gerund)
  From root 'i' (to go) with prefix 'pra', and suffix 'tya'. Meaning 'having gone forth', i.e., 'having died'.
  Prefix: pra
  Root: i (class 2)
• bhāva – state, condition, being, existence
  noun (masculine)
  action noun
  From root 'bhū' (to be) with suffix 'a'.
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Refers to the condition in the next life.

चिर (cira) - long, for a long time

(adjective)

masculine, singular of cira

cira - long, lasting a long time, ancient

Note: It's an adjective qualifying 'īpsitā'.

ईप्सिता (īpsitā) - desired, wished for

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of īpsita

īpsita - desired, wished for, longed for

Past Passive Participle

From desiderative root of 'āp' (to obtain/reach), i.e., 'īps' + 'ta' suffix. Feminine nominative singular to agree with 'gatiḥ'.

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Agrees with 'gatiḥ'. Together 'cira īpsitā' forms 'long-desired'.