महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-17, verse-1

वासुदेव उवाच ।
ततस्तस्योपसंगृह्य पादौ प्रश्नान्सुदुर्वचान् ।
पप्रच्छ तांश्च सर्वान्स प्राह धर्मभृतां वरः ॥१॥

1. vāsudeva uvāca ,
tatastasyopasaṁgṛhya pādau praśnānsudurvacān ,
papraccha tāṁśca sarvānsa prāha dharmabhṛtāṁ varaḥ.

1. vāsudeva uvāca tataḥ tasya upasaṃgṛhya pādau praśnān
sudurvacān papraccha tān ca sarvān sa prāha dharmabhṛtām varaḥ

1. vāsudeva uvāca: tataḥ (Vāsudevaḥ) tasya pādau upasaṃgṛhya sudurvacān praśnān papraccha.
ca saḥ dharmabhṛtām varaḥ tān sarvān prāha.

1. Vāsudeva spoke: Then, reverently touching his feet, he (Vāsudeva) asked him very difficult questions. And to all of them, the supreme upholder of natural law (dharma) responded.

Words meanings summery:

• वासुदेव (vāsudeva) - Vāsudeva (Krishna) (son of Vasudeva, Krishna, a proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said (he said, he spoke)

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

• तस्य (tasya) - his (referring to the sage being addressed) (of that, its, his)

• उपसंगृह्य (upasaṁgṛhya) - having grasped/reverently touched (having taken hold of, having grasped, having approached respectfully)

• पादौ (pādau) - his (two) feet (two feet)

• प्रश्नान् (praśnān) - questions (questions (plural))

• सुदुर्वचान् (sudurvacān) - very difficult to answer (very difficult to speak/answer, very hard to explain)

• पप्रच्छ (papraccha) - he asked (Vāsudeva asked) (he asked, he inquired)

• तान् (tān) - them (referring to the questions) (them (masculine plural))

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• सर्वान् (sarvān) - all of them (all, every (masculine plural))

• स (sa) - he (the sage) (he, that)

• प्राह (prāha) - he replied (he said, he spoke, he replied)

• धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those who uphold natural law (dharma) (of the upholders of natural law (dharma))

• वरः (varaḥ) - the best, the supreme (best, excellent, choicest, boon)

Words meanings and morphology

वासुदेव (vāsudeva) - Vāsudeva (Krishna) (son of Vasudeva, Krishna, a proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vāsudeva

vāsudeva - descendant of Vasudeva, an epithet of Krishna

Patronymic from `Vasudeva`.

Note: Subject of `uvāca`.

उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect Tense (Reduplicated Perfect), Active Voice

Third person singular, perfect tense of `vac`.

Root: vac (class 2)

ततः (tataḥ) - then (then, thence, from that)

(indeclinable)

From pronoun `tad` + ablative suffix `tas`.

तस्य (tasya) - his (referring to the sage being addressed) (of that, its, his)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun base.

Note: Possessive, refers to the person whose feet were grasped.

उपसंगृह्य (upasaṁgṛhya) - having grasped/reverently touched (having taken hold of, having grasped, having approached respectfully)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From `upa-sam-grah` (to gather, take, touch respectfully) + `lyaP` suffix.

Prefixes: upa+sam

Root: grah (class 9)

Note: Modifies the action of `papraccha`.

पादौ (pādau) - his (two) feet (two feet)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of pāda

pāda - foot, leg, step, quarter

Root: pad

Note: Object of `upasaṃgṛhya`.

प्रश्नान् (praśnān) - questions (questions (plural))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of praśna

praśna - question, inquiry, problem

From `pra-śnā` or `pra-prach`.

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Object of `papraccha`.

सुदुर्वचान् (sudurvacān) - very difficult to answer (very difficult to speak/answer, very hard to explain)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of sudurvaca

sudurvaca - very difficult to speak, hard to explain, inarticulate

Compound: `su` (very) + `dur` (difficult) + `vac` (speak).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+durvaca)

• su – good, well, very
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating excellence or ease.
• durvaca – difficult to speak, hard to explain
  adjective
  Compound of `dur` (difficult) and `vac` (speech).
  Prefix: dur
  Root: vac (class 2)

पप्रच्छ (papraccha) - he asked (Vāsudeva asked) (he asked, he inquired)

(verb)

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

Perfect Tense (Reduplicated Perfect), Active Voice

Third person singular, perfect tense of `prach`.

Root: prach (class 6)

तान् (tān) - them (referring to the questions) (them (masculine plural))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun base.

Note: Object of `prāha`.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

सर्वान् (sarvān) - all of them (all, every (masculine plural))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole

स (sa) - he (the sage) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun base.

Note: Subject of `prāha`.

प्राह (prāha) - he replied (he said, he spoke, he replied)

(verb)

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

Perfect Tense (Reduplicated Perfect), Active Voice

From `pra-vac`. Third person singular, perfect tense.

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those who uphold natural law (dharma) (of the upholders of natural law (dharma))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dharmabhṛt

dharmabhṛt - upholder of natural law (dharma), one who bears (or supports) natural law (dharma)

Compound noun ending in a verbal root. `dharma` (natural law) + `bhṛt` (bearing, supporting).

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+bhṛt)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteous conduct, duty, religious merit
  noun (masculine)
  From root `dhṛ` (to hold, support).
  Root: dhṛ (class 3)
• bhṛt – bearing, carrying, supporting, nourishing, maintaining
  adjective
  Derived from root `bhṛ` (to bear, support).
  Root: bhṛ (class 3)

Note: Possessive, defining 'varaḥ'.

वरः (varaḥ) - the best, the supreme (best, excellent, choicest, boon)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, boon, choice, desired object

From root `vṛ` (to choose).

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Predicate adjective to `sa`.