महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-259, verse-22

ब्रह्मोवाच ।
प्रीतोऽस्मि वो निवर्तध्वं वरान्वृणुत पुत्रकाः ।
यद्यदिष्टमृते त्वेकममरत्वं तथास्तु तत् ॥२२॥

22. brahmovāca ,
prīto'smi vo nivartadhvaṁ varānvṛṇuta putrakāḥ ,
yadyadiṣṭamṛte tvekamamaratvaṁ tathāstu tat.

22. brahmā uvāca prītaḥ asmi vaḥ nivartadhvam varān vṛṇuta
putrakāḥ yat yat iṣṭam ṛte tu ekam amaratvam tathā astu tat

22. Brahmā said: 'I am pleased with you; desist (from your penance), my sons, and choose your boons! Whatever you desire, with the exception of one thing, immortality, let it be so!'

Words meanings summery:

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• प्रीतः (prītaḥ) - pleased (pleased, delighted, satisfied)

• अस्मि (asmi) - I am (I am, I exist)

• वः (vaḥ) - with you (lit. 'for you', referring to the object of pleasure) (to you, for you, your)

• निवर्तध्वम् (nivartadhvam) - desist (from your penance) (desist, turn back, cease)

• वरान् (varān) - boons (boons, desired objects, choices)

• वृणुत (vṛṇuta) - choose (choose, ask for)

• पुत्रकाः (putrakāḥ) - my sons (addressing them affectionately) (sons, dear sons)

• यत् (yat) - whatever (whatever, which, that)

• यत् (yat) - whatever (whatever, which, that)

• इष्टम् (iṣṭam) - desired (desired, wished, beloved, offered)

• ऋते (ṛte) - with the exception of (except, without, apart from)

• तु (tu) - but, indeed (emphasizing the exception) (but, indeed, however)

• एकम् (ekam) - one (thing), namely (one, single, alone)

• अमरत्वम् (amaratvam) - immortality (immortality, deathlessness)

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus (thus, so, in that manner)

• अस्तु (astu) - let it be so (let it be, may it be)

• तत् (tat) - that (desired boon) (that, it)

Words meanings and morphology

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - creator god Brahmā; sacred utterance; ultimate reality (brahman)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect tense (liṭ), 3rd person singular, active voice of root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

प्रीतः (prītaḥ) - pleased (pleased, delighted, satisfied)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prīta

prīta - pleased, delighted, satisfied, beloved

Past Passive Participle

Root prī (to please) + kta suffix

Root: prī (class 9)

Note: Adjective for the speaker (Brahmā).

अस्मि (asmi) - I am (I am, I exist)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Present tense, 1st person singular, active voice of root as

Root: as (class 2)

वः (vaḥ) - with you (lit. 'for you', referring to the object of pleasure) (to you, for you, your)

(pronoun)

plural of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Here, used in a dative or genitive sense, meaning 'towards you' or 'with regard to you'.

निवर्तध्वम् (nivartadhvam) - desist (from your penance) (desist, turn back, cease)

(verb)

2nd person , plural, middle, imperative (loṭ) of vṛt

Imperative middle voice, 2nd person plural, of root vṛt with upasarga ni-

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Meaning 'turn back', 'cease', 'desist'.

वरान् (varān) - boons (boons, desired objects, choices)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of vara

vara - boon, blessing, choice, best

वृणुत (vṛṇuta) - choose (choose, ask for)

(verb)

2nd person , plural, middle, imperative (loṭ) of vṛ

Imperative middle voice, 2nd person plural, of root vṛ (9th class)

Root: vṛ (class 9)

पुत्रकाः (putrakāḥ) - my sons (addressing them affectionately) (sons, dear sons)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, plural of putraka

putraka - little son, dear son (diminutive/affectionate of putra)

Diminutive suffix -ka added to putra

Note: Used as a term of address by Brahmā.

यत् (yat) - whatever (whatever, which, that)

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, whatever

Note: Repetition 'yat yat' means 'whatever, whatever' or 'each and every thing that'.

यत् (yat) - whatever (whatever, which, that)

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, whatever

Note: Repetition 'yat yat' means 'whatever, whatever' or 'each and every thing that'.

इष्टम् (iṣṭam) - desired (desired, wished, beloved, offered)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of iṣṭa

iṣṭa - desired, wished, beloved, worshipped, sacrificed

Past Passive Participle

Root iṣ (to wish, desire) + kta suffix

Root: iṣ (class 4)

Note: Agrees with 'tat' (that) implied or with 'yat'.

ऋते (ṛte) - with the exception of (except, without, apart from)

(indeclinable)

तु (tu) - but, indeed (emphasizing the exception) (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

एकम् (ekam) - one (thing), namely (one, single, alone)

(numeral)

अमरत्वम् (amaratvam) - immortality (immortality, deathlessness)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of amaratva

amaratva - immortality, deathlessness

Abstract noun formed from amara (immortal) + tva suffix

Note: Object of ṛte.

तथा (tathā) - so, thus (thus, so, in that manner)

(indeclinable)

अस्तु (astu) - let it be so (let it be, may it be)

(verb)

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

Imperative, 3rd person singular, active voice of root as

Root: as (class 2)

तत् (tat) - that (desired boon) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'yat yat iṣṭam'.