महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-10, verse-17

व्यास उवाच ।
तदिन्द्रः सुरभीवाक्यं निशम्य भृशविस्मितः ।
जीवितेनापि कौरव्य मेनेऽभ्यधिकमात्मजम् ॥१७॥

17. vyāsa uvāca ,
tadindraḥ surabhīvākyaṁ niśamya bhṛśavismitaḥ ,
jīvitenāpi kauravya mene'bhyadhikamātmajam.

17. vyāsaḥ uvāca | tat indraḥ surabhīvākyaṃ niśamya bhṛśavismitaḥ
| jīvitena api kauravya mene abhyadhikam ātmajam

17. Vyāsa said: 'O descendant of Kuru, having heard Surabhi's words, Indra became greatly astonished and considered one's own son to be dearer even than life itself.'

Words meanings summery:

• व्यासः (vyāsaḥ) - Vyasa (name of a sage)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• तत् (tat) - referring to Surabhi's words (that, those)

• इन्द्रः (indraḥ) - Indra

• सुरभीवाक्यं (surabhīvākyaṁ) - Surabhi's words, the speech of Surabhi

• निशम्य (niśamya) - having heard, having perceived

• भृशविस्मितः (bhṛśavismitaḥ) - greatly astonished, very amazed

• जीवितेन (jīvitena) - by life, than life

• अपि (api) - even, also, too

• कौरव्य (kauravya) - Addresses Dhritarashtra or Janamejaya, the listener of Vyasa's narration. (O descendant of Kuru)

• मेने (mene) - he considered, he thought, he regarded

• अभ्यधिकम् (abhyadhikam) - greater, superior, more valuable

• आत्मजम् (ātmajam) - one's own son, born of oneself

Words meanings and morphology

व्यासः (vyāsaḥ) - Vyasa (name of a sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyāsa

vyāsa - Vyasa (name of a celebrated sage, compiler of the Vedas and author of Mahabharata)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Root 'vac' (2nd class). Perfect tense, 3rd person singular.

Root: vac (class 2)

तत् (tat) - referring to Surabhi's words (that, those)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

इन्द्रः (indraḥ) - Indra

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of indra

indra - Indra, the chief of the gods

Note: Subject of 'mene'.

सुरभीवाक्यं (surabhīvākyaṁ) - Surabhi's words, the speech of Surabhi

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of surabhīvākya

surabhīvākya - the words of Surabhi

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (surabhī+vākya)

• surabhī – Surabhi (the divine cow)
  proper noun (feminine)
• vākya – word, speech, sentence
  noun (neuter)
  From √vac + ṇyaT suffix.
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Object of 'niśamya'.

निशम्य (niśamya) - having heard, having perceived

(indeclinable participle (absolutive))

Note: Expresses an action completed before the main verb.

भृशविस्मितः (bhṛśavismitaḥ) - greatly astonished, very amazed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhṛśavismita

bhṛśavismita - greatly astonished, very amazed

Compound type : karmadhāraya (bhṛśa+vismita)

• bhṛśa – greatly, exceedingly, very
  indeclinable
• vismita – astonished, amazed, surprised
  participle (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From 'vi' + √smi (to wonder, smile).
  Prefix: vi
  Root: smi (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'indraḥ'.

जीवितेन (jīvitena) - by life, than life

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of jīvita

jīvita - life, existence

Past Passive Participle (substantivized)

From root 'jīv' (to live) + 'kta' (past passive participle suffix), used as a noun.

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Used in a comparative sense, 'dearer than life'.

अपि (api) - even, also, too

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'jīvitena'.

कौरव्य (kauravya) - Addresses Dhritarashtra or Janamejaya, the listener of Vyasa's narration. (O descendant of Kuru)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of kauravya

kauravya - descendant of Kuru

Derived from 'kuru' + 'vyañ' suffix, meaning 'belonging to Kuru' or 'descendant of Kuru'.

मेने (mene) - he considered, he thought, he regarded

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, past perfect (lit) of man

Perfect Middle

From root 'man' (4th class, Ātmanepada). Perfect tense, 3rd person singular.

Root: man (class 4)

अभ्यधिकम् (abhyadhikam) - greater, superior, more valuable

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of abhyadhika

abhyadhika - exceeding, greater, more, excessive

From 'abhi' + 'adhika' (excessive).

Note: Agrees with 'ātmajam'.

आत्मजम् (ātmajam) - one's own son, born of oneself

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātmaja

ātmaja - born of oneself, one's own son

Compound 'ātman' (self) + 'ja' (born).

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (ātman+ja)

• ātman – self, soul, spirit, individual (ātman)
  noun (masculine)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective (masculine)
  Agentive suffix
  Suffix -ja from √jan.
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Object of 'mene'.