महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-26, verse-8

तेषां प्रोवाच भगवाञ्श्रेयः समनुपृच्छताम् ।
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म ते श्रुत्वा प्राद्रवन्दिशः ॥८॥

8. teṣāṁ provāca bhagavāñśreyaḥ samanupṛcchatām ,
omityekākṣaraṁ brahma te śrutvā prādravandiśaḥ.

8. teṣām provāca bhagavān śreyaḥ samanupṛcchatām om
iti ekākṣaram brahma te śrutvā prādravan diśaḥ

8. To those who were diligently inquiring about ultimate good (śreyaḥ), the venerable one spoke: "The single syllable 'Om' is the ultimate reality (brahman)." Having heard this, they ran away in various directions.

Words meanings summery:

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - to them, of them

• प्रोवाच (provāca) - he spoke, he declared

• भगवान् (bhagavān) - Prajapati (the lord of creation) (the venerable one, the glorious one, the fortunate one)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - welfare, ultimate good, excellence, spiritual benefit

• समनुपृच्छताम् (samanupṛcchatām) - of those who were diligently asking, to those who were diligently inquiring

• ओम् (om) - the sacred syllable 'Om'

• इति (iti) - thus, so, signifying direct speech

• एकाक्षरम् (ekākṣaram) - single syllable

• ब्रह्म (brahma) - ultimate reality (brahman)

• ते (te) - the divine sages, nāgas, and asuras (they)

• श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard

• प्राद्रवन् (prādravan) - they ran away

• दिशः (diśaḥ) - in various directions (directions, points of the compass)

Words meanings and morphology

तेषाम् (teṣām) - to them, of them

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Used here with dative function ('to them').

प्रोवाच (provāca) - he spoke, he declared

(verb)

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

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

भगवान् (bhagavān) - Prajapati (the lord of creation) (the venerable one, the glorious one, the fortunate one)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - venerable, glorious, divine, fortunate, prosperous

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - welfare, ultimate good, excellence, spiritual benefit

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - welfare, good fortune, ultimate good, spiritual benefit, superior, excellent

समनुपृच्छताम् (samanupṛcchatām) - of those who were diligently asking, to those who were diligently inquiring

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of samanupṛcchat

samanupṛcchat - one who is diligently asking, inquiring thoroughly

present active participle

Derived from root prach (to ask) with prefixes sam and anu.

Prefixes: sam+anu

Root: prach (class 6)

ओम् (om) - the sacred syllable 'Om'

(indeclinable)

इति (iti) - thus, so, signifying direct speech

(indeclinable)

एकाक्षरम् (ekākṣaram) - single syllable

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ekākṣara

ekākṣara - single syllable

Compound type : karmadhāraya (eka+akṣara)

• eka – one, single, sole
  numeral (masculine)
• akṣara – syllable, imperishable, letter
  noun (neuter)
  Prefix: a
  Root: kṣar (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'brahma'.

ब्रह्म (brahma) - ultimate reality (brahman)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of brahman

brahman - the Absolute, the ultimate reality, the creative principle of the universe

ते (te) - the divine sages, nāgas, and asuras (they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root śru (to hear) with suffix -tvā.

Root: śru (class 5)

प्राद्रवन् (prādravan) - they ran away

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of pradru

Prefix: pra

Root: dru (class 1)

दिशः (diśaḥ) - in various directions (directions, points of the compass)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of diś

diś - direction, quarter, point of the compass

Root: diś (class 6)

Note: Used adverbially to indicate movement towards directions.