महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-127, verse-12

सोमक उवाच ।
धिगस्त्विहैकपुत्रत्वमपुत्रत्वं वरं भवेत् ।
नित्यातुरत्वाद्भूतानां शोक एवैकपुत्रता ॥१२॥

12. somaka uvāca ,
dhigastvihaikaputratvamaputratvaṁ varaṁ bhavet ,
nityāturatvādbhūtānāṁ śoka evaikaputratā.

12. somakaḥ uvāca dhik astu iha ekaputratvam aputratvam
varam bhavet nityāturatvāt bhūtānām śokaḥ eva ekaputratā

12. Somaka said: 'Shame on having only one son in this world; it would be preferable to be childless. For living beings, due to their constant anxiety, having only one son is nothing but sorrow.'

Words meanings summery:

• सोमकः (somakaḥ) - Somaka (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• धिक् (dhik) - woe, shame on (woe, shame, fie, alas)

• अस्तु (astu) - let it be (understood as 'woe be') (let it be, may it be)

• इह (iha) - in this world, in this matter (of having children) (here, in this world, in this matter)

• एकपुत्रत्वम् (ekaputratvam) - the state of having only one son (the state of having one son)

• अपुत्रत्वम् (aputratvam) - childlessness (childlessness, state of having no son)

• वरम् (varam) - preferable (better, preferable, excellent)

• भवेत् (bhavet) - it would be (it would be, may it be)

• नित्यातुरत्वात् (nityāturatvāt) - due to their constant anxiety (due to constant distress/anxiety)

• भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - for living beings (of beings, of creatures)

• शोकः (śokaḥ) - sorrow (sorrow, grief, anguish)

• एव (eva) - nothing but, truly (indeed, only, just, exactly)

• एकपुत्रता (ekaputratā) - having only one son (the state of having one son)

Words meanings and morphology

सोमकः (somakaḥ) - Somaka (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of somaka

somaka - Somaka (name of a king)

Note: Subject of `uvāca`.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect (Liṭ-lakāra), 3rd person singular.

Irregular perfect form of √vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

धिक् (dhik) - woe, shame on (woe, shame, fie, alas)

(indeclinable)

Note: Expresses condemnation or regret.

अस्तु (astu) - let it be (understood as 'woe be') (let it be, may it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of as

Imperative (Loṭ-lakāra), 3rd person singular.

Root: as (class 2)

इह (iha) - in this world, in this matter (of having children) (here, in this world, in this matter)

(indeclinable)

Adverb.

एकपुत्रत्वम् (ekaputratvam) - the state of having only one son (the state of having one son)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ekaputratva

ekaputratva - the state or condition of having only one son

Tatpuruṣa compound: eka (one) + putra (son) + tva (suffix for abstract noun).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (eka+putra+tva)

• eka – one, single
  numeral
• putra – son, child
  noun (masculine)
• tva – suffix forming abstract nouns, meaning 'state of being', 'nature of'
  suffix (neuter)

Note: Subject of `astu` (implied, or in apposition to `dhik`).

अपुत्रत्वम् (aputratvam) - childlessness (childlessness, state of having no son)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of aputratva

aputratva - childlessness, state of having no son

Compound: a (negation) + putra (son) + tva (abstract noun suffix).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+putra+tva)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• putra – son, child
  noun (masculine)
• tva – suffix forming abstract nouns, meaning 'state of being', 'nature of'
  suffix (neuter)

Note: Subject of `bhavet`.

वरम् (varam) - preferable (better, preferable, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, superior, boon, choice

Comparative sense implied in context.

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Agrees with `aputratvam`.

भवेत् (bhavet) - it would be (it would be, may it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of bhū

Optative (Vidhi-liṅ), 3rd person singular.

Root: bhū (class 1)

नित्यातुरत्वात् (nityāturatvāt) - due to their constant anxiety (due to constant distress/anxiety)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of nityāturatva

nityāturatva - state of constant distress, perpetual anxiety

Tatpuruṣa compound: nitya (constant) + ātura (distressed) + tva (abstract noun suffix).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nitya+ātura+tva)

• nitya – constant, eternal, perpetual
  adjective
• ātura – distressed, afflicted, sick, anxious
  adjective
• tva – suffix forming abstract nouns, meaning 'state of being', 'nature of'
  suffix (neuter)

Note: Expresses cause.

भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - for living beings (of beings, of creatures)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - being, creature, living being, that which has been

Past Passive Participle (used as a noun)

From √bhū (to be, become).

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Denotes possession or relation.

शोकः (śokaḥ) - sorrow (sorrow, grief, anguish)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śoka

śoka - sorrow, grief, anguish, lamentation

From √śuc (to grieve, lament).

Root: śuc (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative.

एव (eva) - nothing but, truly (indeed, only, just, exactly)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

Note: Emphasizes `śokaḥ`.

एकपुत्रता (ekaputratā) - having only one son (the state of having one son)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ekaputratā

ekaputratā - the state or condition of having only one son

Tatpuruṣa compound: eka (one) + putra (son) + tā (suffix for abstract noun).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (eka+putra+tā)

• eka – one, single
  numeral
• putra – son, child
  noun (masculine)
• tā – suffix forming abstract nouns, meaning 'state of being', 'nature of'
  suffix (feminine)

Note: Subject of the second clause.