महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-284, verse-4

वैशंपायन उवाच ।
अहं ते राजशार्दूल कथयामि कथामिमाम् ।
पृच्छते भरतश्रेष्ठ शुश्रूषस्व गिरं मम ॥४॥

4. vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca ,
ahaṁ te rājaśārdūla kathayāmi kathāmimām ,
pṛcchate bharataśreṣṭha śuśrūṣasva giraṁ mama.

4. vaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca aham te rājaśārdūla kathayāmi kathām
imām pṛcchate bharataśreṣṭha śuśrūṣasva giram mama

4. Vaiśampāyana said: 'O tiger among kings, O best of the Bhāratas, I will narrate this story to you, who are asking. Please listen to my words.'

Words meanings summery:

• वैशंपायनः (vaiśaṁpāyanaḥ) - Vaiśampāyana (Vaiśampāyana (name of a sage, narrator of Mahabharata))

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said (he said, he spoke)

• अहम् (aham) - I (Vaiśampāyana) (I)

• ते (te) - to you (to you, your)

• राजशार्दूल (rājaśārdūla) - O tiger among kings (O tiger among kings, O best of kings)

• कथयामि (kathayāmi) - I will narrate (I tell, I narrate)

• कथाम् (kathām) - story (story, tale)

• इमाम् (imām) - this (this (feminine))

• पृच्छते (pṛcchate) - to you who are asking (to one who asks, for the asker)

• भरतश्रेष्ठ (bharataśreṣṭha) - O best of the Bhāratas

• शुश्रूषस्व (śuśrūṣasva) - listen (listen, desire to hear, serve)

• गिरम् (giram) - words (word, speech, voice)

• मम (mama) - my (my, of me)

Words meanings and morphology

वैशंपायनः (vaiśaṁpāyanaḥ) - Vaiśampāyana (Vaiśampāyana (name of a sage, narrator of Mahabharata))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vaiśaṃpāyana

vaiśaṁpāyana - name of a sage, student of Vyasa, narrator of the Mahabharata

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

अहम् (aham) - I (Vaiśampāyana) (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

ते (te) - to you (to you, your)

(pronoun)

singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Refers to Janamejaya.

राजशार्दूल (rājaśārdūla) - O tiger among kings (O tiger among kings, O best of kings)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājaśārdūla

rājaśārdūla - tiger among kings, best of kings

Compound: rājan (king) + śārdūla (tiger). Metaphorical compound for 'excellent among kings'.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rājan+śārdūla)

• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
  Root: rāj (class 1)
• śārdūla – tiger
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to King Janamejaya.

कथयामि (kathayāmi) - I will narrate (I tell, I narrate)

(verb)

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

10th class verb.

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: Used in the sense of a future tense.

कथाम् (kathām) - story (story, tale)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of kathā

kathā - story, tale, narrative

Note: Object of 'kathayāmi'.

इमाम् (imām) - this (this (feminine))

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this, this here

Note: Agrees with 'kathām'.

पृच्छते (pṛcchate) - to you who are asking (to one who asks, for the asker)

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, singular of pṛcchat

pṛcchat - asking, inquiring

Present Active Participle

Derived from √prach (to ask).

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Refers to Janamejaya, acting as an implicit dative with 'te'.

भरतश्रेष्ठ (bharataśreṣṭha) - O best of the Bhāratas

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bharataśreṣṭha

bharataśreṣṭha - best of the Bharatas

Compound: bharata (Bharata's descendant) + śreṣṭha (best).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bharata+śreṣṭha)

• bharata – a descendant of Bharata (name of a king); an Indian
  proper noun (masculine)
• śreṣṭha – best, excellent, most excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of praśasya (praiseworthy).

Note: Refers to King Janamejaya.

शुश्रूषस्व (śuśrūṣasva) - listen (listen, desire to hear, serve)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of śuśrūṣ

Desiderative from √śru (to hear)

Desiderative root from √śru (to hear), conjugated in the middle voice.

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Implies both listening and an attitude of seeking to learn.

गिरम् (giram) - words (word, speech, voice)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of gir

gir - word, speech, voice

Root: gṛ (class 1)

Note: Object of 'śuśrūṣasva'.

मम (mama) - my (my, of me)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Possessive, referring to Vaiśampāyana.