महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-15, verse-8

मधुरास्तु कथाश्चित्राश्चित्रार्थपदनिश्चयाः ।
निश्चयज्ञः स पार्थाय कथयामास केशवः ॥८॥

8. madhurāstu kathāścitrāścitrārthapadaniścayāḥ ,
niścayajñaḥ sa pārthāya kathayāmāsa keśavaḥ.

8. madhurāḥ tu kathāḥ citrāḥ citrārthapadaniscayāḥ
niścayajñaḥ sa pārthāya kathayāmāsa keśavaḥ

8. saḥ niścayajñaḥ keśavaḥ pārthāya madhurāḥ tu
citrāḥ citrārthapadaniscayāḥ kathāḥ kathayāmāsa

8. Keshava, who possessed certain knowledge, narrated to Partha (Arjuna) delightful and varied stories, whose meanings and terms were precise.

Words meanings summery:

• मधुराः (madhurāḥ) - sweet, pleasant, delightful

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• कथाः (kathāḥ) - stories, narratives, tales

• चित्राः (citrāḥ) - diverse, variegated, wonderful

• चित्रार्थपदनिस्चयाः (citrārthapadaniscayāḥ) - whose meanings and words are certain/precise, whose meanings and expressions are wonderfully clear

• निश्चयज्ञः (niścayajñaḥ) - one who knows certainty, one who has firm knowledge, one with certain knowledge

• स (sa) - he

• पार्थाय (pārthāya) - to Partha, to Arjuna

• कथयामास (kathayāmāsa) - he narrated, he told

• केशवः (keśavaḥ) - Keshava (an epithet of Krishna)

Words meanings and morphology

मधुराः (madhurāḥ) - sweet, pleasant, delightful

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of madhura

madhura - sweet, pleasing, charming

Root: madh

Note: Matching `kathāḥ`.

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

कथाः (kathāḥ) - stories, narratives, tales

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of kathā

kathā - story, tale, narrative

From root kath (to tell)

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: Subject of the narration.

चित्राः (citrāḥ) - diverse, variegated, wonderful

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of citra

citra - varied, wonderful, strange, picture

Root: citr

Note: Matching `kathāḥ`.

चित्रार्थपदनिस्चयाः (citrārthapadaniscayāḥ) - whose meanings and words are certain/precise, whose meanings and expressions are wonderfully clear

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of citrārthapadaniscaya

citrārthapadaniscaya - having wonderful/varied meanings and precise words/terms

Compound type : bahuvrihi (citra+artha+pada+niscaya)

• citra – varied, wonderful
  adjective
• artha – meaning, purpose, wealth
  noun (masculine)
  Root: ṛ
• pada – word, step, foot
  noun (neuter)
  Root: pad (class 4)
• niscaya – certainty, precision, firm conviction
  noun (masculine)
  From nis + √ci
  Prefix: nis
  Root: ci (class 5)

Note: Compound adjective qualifying `kathāḥ`.

निश्चयज्ञः (niścayajñaḥ) - one who knows certainty, one who has firm knowledge, one with certain knowledge

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niścayajña

niścayajña - knower of certainty, having firm knowledge

Compound type : tatpurusha (niścaya+jña)

• niścaya – certainty, precision, conviction
  noun (masculine)
  From ni + √ci
  Prefix: nis
  Root: ci (class 5)
• jña – knowing, one who knows
  adjective (masculine)
  From root jñā (to know)
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Qualifies `sa` (Keshava).

स (sa) - he

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Keshava.

पार्थाय (pārthāya) - to Partha, to Arjuna

(proper noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of pārtha

pārtha - son of Pṛthā (Arjuna)

कथयामास (kathayāmāsa) - he narrated, he told

(verb)

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

Perfect 3rd singular of a causal/denominative root kathay

Root: kath (class 10)

केशवः (keśavaḥ) - Keshava (an epithet of Krishna)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of keśava

keśava - Keshava, Vishnu, Krishna (epithet)

Derived from keśa (hair) or ka-iśa-va (Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva)

Note: Subject of the narration.