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.'

12. סוֹמַקַה אמר, אוי לבן יחיד. מוטב לא להיות אב כלל, כי היצורים תמיד סובלים, ולכן בן יחיד הוא רק צער.

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.

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