महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-15, chapter-5, verse-22

तत्राहं वायुभक्षो वा निराहारोऽपि वा वसन् ।
पत्न्या सहानया वीर चरिष्यामि तपः परम् ॥२२॥

22. tatrāhaṁ vāyubhakṣo vā nirāhāro'pi vā vasan ,
patnyā sahānayā vīra cariṣyāmi tapaḥ param.

22. tatra aham vāyubhakṣaḥ vā nirāhāraḥ api vā vasan
patnyā saha anayā vīra cariṣyāmi tapaḥ param

22. vīra aham tatra vā vāyubhakṣaḥ vā api nirāhāraḥ
vasan anayā patnyā saha param tapaḥ cariṣyāmi

22. O hero, there I shall dwell, subsisting on air or even completely without food, and with this wife, I will perform the highest asceticism (tapas).

Words meanings summery:

• तत्र (tatra) - in the forest (there, in that place)

• अहम् (aham) - I (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (I)

• वायुभक्षः (vāyubhakṣaḥ) - subsisting on air, eating air

• वा (vā) - or, either

• निराहारः (nirāhāraḥ) - without food, fasting, abstaining from food

• अपि (api) - even, also, too

• वा (vā) - or, either

• वसन् (vasan) - living, dwelling, residing

• पत्न्या (patnyā) - with (Gāndhārī) my wife (with the wife)

• सह (saha) - with, together with

• अनया (anayā) - by this (Gāndhārī) (by this (feminine))

• वीर (vīra) - O hero (referring to Yudhiṣṭhira) (O hero, O brave one)

• चरिष्यामि (cariṣyāmi) - I will perform, I will practice

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, asceticism, penance

• परम् (param) - supreme, highest, excellent

Words meanings and morphology

तत्र (tatra) - in the forest (there, in that place)

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I

वायुभक्षः (vāyubhakṣaḥ) - subsisting on air, eating air

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vāyubhakṣa

vāyubhakṣa - eating air, subsisting on air (as an ascetic practice)

Tatpuruṣa compound meaning 'one who eats/subsists on air'

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vāyu+bhakṣa)

• vāyu – air, wind
  noun (masculine)
• bhakṣa – food, eating, one who eats (from √bhakṣ)
  noun (masculine)
  Noun derived from √bhakṣ (to eat)
  Root: bhakṣ (class 1)

Note: Refers to the speaker (aham).

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for alternative.

निराहारः (nirāhāraḥ) - without food, fasting, abstaining from food

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirāhāra

nirāhāra - without food, fasting, abstaining from food

Bahuvrīhi compound meaning 'one who has no food'

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nis+āhāra)

• nis – without, out of, away
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating negation or absence
• āhāra – food, nourishment, collection
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from ā-√hṛ (to take, to collect)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: hṛ (class 1)

Note: Refers to the speaker (aham).

अपि (api) - even, also, too

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the possibility of fasting completely.

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for alternative.

वसन् (vasan) - living, dwelling, residing

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vasat

vasat - living, dwelling, residing

Present Active Participle

Present active participle of √vas (to dwell)

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Refers to the speaker (aham).

पत्न्या (patnyā) - with (Gāndhārī) my wife (with the wife)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of patnī

patnī - wife, mistress

सह (saha) - with, together with

(indeclinable)

अनया (anayā) - by this (Gāndhārī) (by this (feminine))

(pronoun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Refers to Gāndhārī.

वीर (vīra) - O hero (referring to Yudhiṣṭhira) (O hero, O brave one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vīra

vīra - hero, brave man, warrior

Note: Addressed to Yudhiṣṭhira.

चरिष्यामि (cariṣyāmi) - I will perform, I will practice

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of car

Future Tense

First person singular future active of √car

Root: car (class 1)

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, asceticism, penance

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, asceticism, spiritual fervor

Root: tap (class 1)

Note: Object of cariṣyāmi.

परम् (param) - supreme, highest, excellent

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of para

para - supreme, highest, excellent, ultimate, other

Note: Qualifies 'tapas'.