महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-42, verse-1

ब्रह्मोवाच ।
अहंकारात्प्रसूतानि महाभूतानि पञ्च वै ।
पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम् ॥१॥

1. brahmovāca ,
ahaṁkārātprasūtāni mahābhūtāni pañca vai ,
pṛthivī vāyurākāśamāpo jyotiśca pañcamam.

1. brahmā uvāca ahaṅkārāt prasūtāni mahābhūtāni pañca
vai pṛthivī vāyuḥ ākāśam āpaḥ jyotiḥ ca pañcamam

1. brahmā uvāca ahaṅkārāt pañca mahābhūtāni vai
prasūtāni pṛthivī vāyuḥ ākāśam āpaḥ ca jyotiḥ pañcamam

1. Brahmā (brahman) said: Indeed, the five great elements (mahābhūta) are born from ego (ahaṅkāra): earth, air, ether, water, and fire as the fifth.

Words meanings summery:

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator deity)

• उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

• अहङ्कारात् (ahaṅkārāt) - from ego, from the sense of 'I'

• प्रसूतानि (prasūtāni) - born, produced, sprung forth

• महाभूतानि (mahābhūtāni) - the great elements

• पञ्च (pañca) - five

• वै (vai) - indeed, verily, surely

• पृथिवी (pṛthivī) - earth

• वायुः (vāyuḥ) - air, wind

• आकाशम् (ākāśam) - ether, space, sky

• आपः (āpaḥ) - waters

• ज्योतिः (jyotiḥ) - Here, referring to the element of fire (tejas). (light, fire)

• च (ca) - and

• पञ्चमम् (pañcamam) - the fifth

Words meanings and morphology

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator deity)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator god), prayer, sacred word

Masculine nominative singular, referring to the deity.

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice.

Root: vac (class 2)

अहङ्कारात् (ahaṅkārāt) - from ego, from the sense of 'I'

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of ahaṅkāra

ahaṅkāra - ego, egotism, sense of 'I' or individuality

From ahaṃ (I) + kṛ (to make, do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Indicates the source or origin.

प्रसूतानि (prasūtāni) - born, produced, sprung forth

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, plural of prasūta

prasūta - born, produced, generated, brought forth

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root sū (to give birth, produce) with prefix pra (forth, forward).

Prefix: pra

Root: sū (class 2)

महाभूतानि (mahābhūtāni) - the great elements

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of mahābhūta

mahābhūta - great element, fundamental element (earth, water, fire, air, ether)

Karmadhāraya compound of mahā (great) and bhūta (element).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+bhūta)

• mahā – great, large, mighty, extensive
  adjective
  Feminine stem of 'mahat' (great) or sometimes used as an indeclinable prefix.
• bhūta – element, being, creature, what has been
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root bhū (to be, become).
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'are'.

पञ्च (pañca) - five

(numeral)

वै (vai) - indeed, verily, surely

(indeclinable)

पृथिवी (pṛthivī) - earth

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pṛthivī

pṛthivī - earth, the terrestrial world, ground

Feminine nominative singular.

Root: pṛth

Note: Listed as one of the elements.

वायुः (vāyuḥ) - air, wind

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vāyu

vāyu - air, wind, breath; the god of wind

Masculine nominative singular.

Root: vā (class 2)

Note: Listed as one of the elements.

आकाशम् (ākāśam) - ether, space, sky

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ākāśa

ākāśa - ether, space, sky, luminosity

Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

Prefix: ā

Root: kāś (class 1)

Note: Listed as one of the elements.

आपः (āpaḥ) - waters

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of ap

ap - water (always used in plural)

Feminine nominative plural.

Note: Listed as one of the elements.

ज्योतिः (jyotiḥ) - Here, referring to the element of fire (tejas). (light, fire)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jyotis

jyotis - light, luster, fire, celestial body, brilliance

Neuter nominative singular.

Root: dyut (class 1)

Note: Listed as one of the elements.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

A conjunction.

पञ्चमम् (pañcamam) - the fifth

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pañcama

pañcama - fifth (ordinal numeral)

Neuter nominative singular.