महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-200, verse-25

ब्राह्मण उवाच ।
कथं धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ जीवो भवति शाश्वतः ।
एतदिच्छाम्यहं ज्ञातुं तत्त्वेन वदतां वर ॥२५॥

25. brāhmaṇa uvāca ,
kathaṁ dharmabhṛtāṁ śreṣṭha jīvo bhavati śāśvataḥ ,
etadicchāmyahaṁ jñātuṁ tattvena vadatāṁ vara.

25. brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca katham dharmabhṛtām śreṣṭha jīvaḥ bhavati
śāśvataḥ etat icchāmi aham jñātum tattvena vadatām vara

25. The Brahmin said: O best among those who uphold natural law (dharma), how does the individual soul (jīva) become eternal? O best among speakers, I truly wish to understand this.

Words meanings summery:

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - the Brahmin

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those who uphold natural law, of upholders of righteousness

• श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - O best, O most excellent

• जीवः (jīvaḥ) - the individual soul, living being

• भवति (bhavati) - becomes, is, exists

• शाश्वतः (śāśvataḥ) - eternal, perpetual, everlasting

• एतत् (etat) - this

• इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I desire, I wish

• अहम् (aham) - I

• ज्ञातुम् (jñātum) - to know, to understand

• तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - truly, in essence, by the truth

• वदताम् (vadatām) - of those who speak, among speakers

• वर (vara) - O best, O excellent one

Words meanings and morphology

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - the Brahmin

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin, a member of the priestly class, one who knows or is related to Brahman

Derived from brahman (neuter) meaning sacred word/knowledge/absolute, here refers to a person

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active

3rd person singular, Perfect active indicative

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those who uphold natural law, of upholders of righteousness

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dharmabhṛt

dharmabhṛt - upholder of natural law, supporter of righteousness

Compound noun, from dharma (natural law) and bhṛt (bearing/upholding)

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+bhṛt)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty, virtue
  noun (masculine)
  From root √dhṛ (to support, sustain)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• bhṛt – bearing, supporting, upholding
  noun (masculine)
  From root √bhṛ (to bear, carry, support)
  Root: bhṛ (class 1)

श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - O best, O most excellent

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, most excellent, supreme

Superlative of praśasya (excellent)

जीवः (jīvaḥ) - the individual soul, living being

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīva

jīva - individual soul, living being, life

From root √jīv (to live)

Root: jīv (class 1)

भवति (bhavati) - becomes, is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (Laṭ) of bhū

Present active

3rd person singular, Present active indicative

Root: bhū (class 1)

शाश्वतः (śāśvataḥ) - eternal, perpetual, everlasting

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śāśvata

śāśvata - eternal, perpetual, everlasting, constant

From śaśvat (always, constantly)

एतत् (etat) - this

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that (near)

Demonstrative pronoun

इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I desire, I wish

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (Laṭ) of iṣ

Present active

1st person singular, Present active indicative

Root: iṣ (class 6)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

1st person pronoun

ज्ञातुम् (jñātum) - to know, to understand

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

Infinitive form

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Infinitive expressing purpose

तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - truly, in essence, by the truth

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - truth, reality, essence, principle

From tad (that) + tva (suffix for abstract noun)

Note: Means "by means of the truth" or "truly"

वदताम् (vadatām) - of those who speak, among speakers

(participle)

Genitive, masculine, plural of vadat

vadat - speaking, speaker

Present Active Participle

From root √vad (to speak)

Root: vad (class 1)

Note: Refers to "among speakers"

वर (vara) - O best, O excellent one

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, boon, choice

From √vṛ (to choose)

Root: vṛ (class 5)