महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-277, verse-22

राजपुत्र्यां तु गर्भः स मालव्यां भरतर्षभ ।
व्यवर्धत यथा शुक्ले तारापतिरिवाम्बरे ॥२२॥

22. rājaputryāṁ tu garbhaḥ sa mālavyāṁ bharatarṣabha ,
vyavardhata yathā śukle tārāpatirivāmbare.

22. rājaputryām tu garbhaḥ saḥ mālavyām bharatarṣabha
| vyavardhata yathā śukle tārāpatiḥ iva ambare

22. O best of the Bharatas, that embryo grew within Princess Malavi, just as the moon waxes in the bright fortnight of the sky.

Words meanings summery:

• राजपुत्र्याम् (rājaputryām) - in Princess Malavi (in the princess)

• तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing continuation) (but, indeed, however)

• गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo (embryo, fetus)

• सः (saḥ) - that (same) (he, that)

• मालव्याम् (mālavyām) - in Princess Malavi (in Malavi)

• भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O best of the Bharatas (an address to Yudhishthira by Markandeya) (O best of Bharatas, O bull among Bharatas)

• व्यवर्धत (vyavardhata) - grew (developed) (grew, increased, developed)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, in which way)

• शुक्ले (śukle) - in the bright (fortnight) (in the bright, in the white)

• तारापतिः (tārāpatiḥ) - the moon (lord of stars, moon)

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

• अम्बरे (ambare) - in the sky (in the sky, in the atmosphere)

Words meanings and morphology

राजपुत्र्याम् (rājaputryām) - in Princess Malavi (in the princess)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of rājaputrī

rājaputrī - princess (daughter of a king)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rājan+putrī)

• rājan – king
  noun (masculine)
• putrī – daughter
  noun (feminine)

Note: Describes the queen as a princess by birth.

तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing continuation) (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo (embryo, fetus)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of garbha

garbha - womb, embryo, fetus, interior

Note: Subject of 'vyavardhata'.

सः (saḥ) - that (same) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers back to the 'garbha' mentioned previously.

मालव्याम् (mālavyām) - in Princess Malavi (in Malavi)

(proper noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of mālavī

mālavī - Malavi (name of a princess/queen, likely from the Malava kingdom)

Note: The name of the queen.

भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O best of the Bharatas (an address to Yudhishthira by Markandeya) (O best of Bharatas, O bull among Bharatas)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bharatarṣabha

bharatarṣabha - chief of the Bharatas, best of the Bharatas

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bharata+ṛṣabha)

• bharata – a descendant of Bharata (name of an ancient king), a member of the Bharata lineage
  proper noun (masculine)
• ṛṣabha – bull, chief, best
  noun (masculine)

Note: A common epithet used to address Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata.

व्यवर्धत (vyavardhata) - grew (developed) (grew, increased, developed)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, past imperfect (Laṅ) of vṛdh

Imperfect Middle

Root √vṛdh (1st class), Imperfect 3rd singular middle voice, with augment a- and upasarga vi-

Prefix: vi

Root: vṛdh (class 1)

यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, in which way)

(indeclinable)

शुक्ले (śukle) - in the bright (fortnight) (in the bright, in the white)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of śukla

śukla - white, bright, clear, bright fortnight

Note: Used here substantively for 'bright fortnight'.

तारापतिः (tārāpatiḥ) - the moon (lord of stars, moon)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tārāpati

tārāpati - lord of stars, moon

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tārā+pati)

• tārā – star
  noun (feminine)
• pati – lord, master, husband
  noun (masculine)

Note: The subject of the comparison.

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

अम्बरे (ambare) - in the sky (in the sky, in the atmosphere)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of ambara

ambara - sky, atmosphere, clothing

Note: Location where the moon is seen.