महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-19, verse-39

कुतो वायं प्रश्वसिति उच्छ्वसित्यपि वा पुनः ।
कं च देशमधिष्ठाय तिष्ठत्यात्मायमात्मनि ॥३९॥

39. kuto vāyaṁ praśvasiti ucchvasityapi vā punaḥ ,
kaṁ ca deśamadhiṣṭhāya tiṣṭhatyātmāyamātmani.

39. kutaḥ vā ayam praśvasiti ucchvasiti api vā punaḥ |
kam ca deśam adhiṣṭhāya tiṣṭhati ātmā ayam ātmani

39. ayam kutaḥ vā praśvasiti,
vā punaḥ api ucchvasiti? ayam ātmā kam ca deśam adhiṣṭhāya ātmani tiṣṭhati?

39. From where does this (being) inhale, and where does it exhale? And which region does this individual self (ātman) occupy when it dwells within the body (ātmani)?

Words meanings summery:

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where, whence, why

• वा (vā) - or, indeed

• अयम् (ayam) - this being/body (this, this one)

• प्रश्वसिति (praśvasiti) - inhales, breathes in

• उच्छ्वसिति (ucchvasiti) - exhales, breathes out

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• वा (vā) - or, indeed

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, further

• कम् (kam) - which, what

• च (ca) - and, also

• देशम् (deśam) - region, place

• अधिष्ठाय (adhiṣṭhāya) - having occupied, having taken up position, dwelling

• तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - stands, remains, dwells, resides

• आत्मा (ātmā) - individual self (ātman) (self, soul, spirit)

• अयम् (ayam) - this (ātman) (this, this one)

• आत्मनि (ātmani) - within its own body (ātmani) (in the self, in oneself, in the body)

Words meanings and morphology

कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where, whence, why

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

वा (vā) - or, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle expressing option or emphasis.

अयम् (ayam) - this being/body (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one, he

Note: Refers to the embodied being.

प्रश्वसिति (praśvasiti) - inhales, breathes in

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of praśvas

Root √śvas (to breathe) with prefix pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: √śvas (class 2)

Note: Part of the breathing process.

उच्छ्वसिति (ucchvasiti) - exhales, breathes out

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of ucchvas

Root √śvas (to breathe) with prefix ut- (which becomes uc- before śv)

Prefix: ut

Root: √śvas (class 2)

Note: Part of the breathing process.

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the alternative.

वा (vā) - or, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle expressing option or emphasis.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, further

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the repetition or alternative.

कम् (kam) - which, what

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who

Note: Adjective modifying 'deśam'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

देशम् (deśam) - region, place

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of deśa

deśa - place, region, country, spot

Note: Object of 'adhiṣṭhāya'.

अधिष्ठाय (adhiṣṭhāya) - having occupied, having taken up position, dwelling

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Derived from root √sthā (to stand) with prefix adhi- and suffix -ya

Prefix: adhi

Root: √sthā (class 1)

Note: Modifies the action of 'tiṣṭhati'.

तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - stands, remains, dwells, resides

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of sthā

Root: √sthā (class 1)

Note: Main verb for the self's dwelling.

आत्मा (ātmā) - individual self (ātman) (self, soul, spirit)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, ego

Note: Subject of 'tiṣṭhati'.

अयम् (ayam) - this (ātman) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one, he

Note: Demonstrative pronoun, agrees with 'ātmā'.

आत्मनि (ātmani) - within its own body (ātmani) (in the self, in oneself, in the body)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, ego

Note: Locative, 'within its own body/self'.