महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-203, verse-16

श्रेष्ठं तदेव भूतानां ब्रह्मज्योतिरुपास्महे ।
स जन्तुः सर्वभूतात्मा पुरुषः स सनातनः ।
मनो बुद्धिरहंकारो भूतानां विषयश्च सः ॥१६॥

16. śreṣṭhaṁ tadeva bhūtānāṁ brahmajyotirupāsmahe ,
sa jantuḥ sarvabhūtātmā puruṣaḥ sa sanātanaḥ ,
mano buddhirahaṁkāro bhūtānāṁ viṣayaśca saḥ.

16. śreṣṭham tat eva bhūtānām brahmajyotiḥ
upāsmahe saḥ jantuḥ sarvabhūtātmā
puruṣaḥ saḥ sanātanaḥ manaḥ buddhiḥ
ahaṅkāraḥ bhūtānām viṣayaḥ ca saḥ

16. We worship that supreme, self-effulgent light of Brahman (brahmajyoti) which is the most excellent among all beings. That being (jantu) is the self (ātman) of all beings, that eternal (sanātana) cosmic person (puruṣa). He is also the mind, intellect, and ego (ahaṅkāra) of beings, as well as their objects of experience.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रेष्ठम् (śreṣṭham) - the most excellent (light) (best, most excellent, supreme)

• तत् (tat) - that (supreme light) (that, it)

• एव (eva) - indeed, exactly (indeed, only, just)

• भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - among all beings (genitive of comparison) (of beings, of creatures)

• ब्रह्मज्योतिः (brahmajyotiḥ) - the self-effulgent light of Brahman (brahmajyoti) (the light of Brahman, the divine light)

• उपास्महे (upāsmahe) - we worship, we meditate upon (we worship, we serve, we meditate upon)

• सः (saḥ) - that (being, referring to the ultimate reality) (he, that)

• जन्तुः (jantuḥ) - that being (being, creature, living being)

• सर्वभूतात्मा (sarvabhūtātmā) - the self (ātman) of all beings (the self of all beings)

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - the cosmic person (puruṣa) (man, person, cosmic person)

• सः (saḥ) - that (cosmic person) (he, that)

• सनातनः (sanātanaḥ) - eternal (sanātana) (eternal, perpetual, ancient)

• मनः (manaḥ) - the mind (mind, intellect)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the intellect (intellect, understanding, intelligence)

• अहङ्कारः (ahaṅkāraḥ) - the ego (ahaṅkāra) (ego, egoism, self-consciousness)

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

• विषयः (viṣayaḥ) - their objects of experience (sensory objects) (object, domain, sphere, sensory object)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• सः (saḥ) - he (the cosmic person) (he, that)

Words meanings and morphology

श्रेष्ठम् (śreṣṭham) - the most excellent (light) (best, most excellent, supreme)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, most excellent, supreme, chief

Superlative of praśasya (excellent).

तत् (tat) - that (supreme light) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

एव (eva) - indeed, exactly (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - among all beings (genitive of comparison) (of beings, of creatures)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - been, become, creature, being, element

Past Passive Participle

From √bhū (to be, to become).

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Genitive of plural neuter.

ब्रह्मज्योतिः (brahmajyotiḥ) - the self-effulgent light of Brahman (brahmajyoti) (the light of Brahman, the divine light)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of brahmajyotis

brahmajyotis - the light of Brahman, the divine light

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+jyotis)

• brahman – Brahman, the Absolute, the ultimate reality
  noun (neuter)
• jyotis – light, luster, radiance
  noun (neuter)

Note: Object of upāsmahe. The Nominative form is brahmajyotiḥ (neuter s-stem).

उपास्महे (upāsmahe) - we worship, we meditate upon (we worship, we serve, we meditate upon)

(verb)

1st person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of upās

Present Middle

Present tense, 1st person plural, middle voice, from √ās with prefix upa-.

Prefix: upa

Root: ās (class 2)

सः (saḥ) - that (being, referring to the ultimate reality) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to jantuḥ.

जन्तुः (jantuḥ) - that being (being, creature, living being)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jantu

jantu - creature, living being, person

Root: jan (class 4)

सर्वभूतात्मा (sarvabhūtātmā) - the self (ātman) of all beings (the self of all beings)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarvabhūtātman

sarvabhūtātman - the self of all beings, the universal spirit

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (sarvabhūta+ātman)

• sarvabhūta – all beings, all creatures
  noun (neuter)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)

पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - the cosmic person (puruṣa) (man, person, cosmic person)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, male, person, spirit, the supreme being

सः (saḥ) - that (cosmic person) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to puruṣaḥ.

सनातनः (sanātanaḥ) - eternal (sanātana) (eternal, perpetual, ancient)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sanātana

sanātana - eternal, perpetual, ancient, everlasting

Note: Agrees with puruṣaḥ.

मनः (manaḥ) - the mind (mind, intellect)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of manas

manas - mind, intellect, thought, desire

Root: man (class 4)

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the intellect (intellect, understanding, intelligence)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, intelligence, perception

Root: budh (class 1)

अहङ्कारः (ahaṅkāraḥ) - the ego (ahaṅkāra) (ego, egoism, self-consciousness)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ahaṅkāra

ahaṅkāra - ego, egoism, self-consciousness, I-maker

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (aham+kāra)

• aham – I
  pronoun
• kāra – maker, doing, act
  noun (masculine)
  From √kṛ (to do, to make).
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

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

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - been, become, creature, being, element

Past Passive Participle

From √bhū (to be, to become).

Root: bhū (class 1)

विषयः (viṣayaḥ) - their objects of experience (sensory objects) (object, domain, sphere, sensory object)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of viṣaya

viṣaya - object, domain, sphere, sensory object, subject matter

Prefix: vi

Root: ṣī/si (class 5)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

सः (saḥ) - he (the cosmic person) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to puruṣaḥ.