महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-54, verse-12

सा चिन्तयन्ती बुद्ध्याथ तर्कयामास भामिनी ।
कथं नु देवाञ्जानीयां कथं विद्यां नलं नृपम् ॥१२॥

12. sā cintayantī buddhyātha tarkayāmāsa bhāminī ,
kathaṁ nu devāñjānīyāṁ kathaṁ vidyāṁ nalaṁ nṛpam.

12. sā cintayantī buddhyā atha tarkayāmāsa bhāminī
katham nu devān jānīyām katham vidyām nalam nṛpam

12. The beautiful princess (bhāminī), thinking with her intellect, then pondered: "How indeed can I recognize the gods? How can I discern King Nala?"

Words meanings summery:

• सा (sā) - the princess (Damayantī) (she)

• चिन्तयन्ती (cintayantī) - thinking, pondering

• बुद्ध्या (buddhyā) - by intellect, with wisdom

• अथ (atha) - then, now, thereupon

• तर्कयामास (tarkayāmāsa) - she pondered, she reasoned

• भामिनी (bhāminī) - Princess Damayantī (a beautiful lady, a passionate woman)

• कथम् (katham) - how?

• नु (nu) - indeed, then

• देवान् (devān) - gods

• जानीयाम् (jānīyām) - may I know, how can I know

• कथम् (katham) - how?

• विद्याम् (vidyām) - may I know, how can I discern

• नलम् (nalam) - King Nala (Nala)

• नृपम् (nṛpam) - king

Words meanings and morphology

सा (sā) - the princess (Damayantī) (she)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Vaidarbhī/Bhāminī

चिन्तयन्ती (cintayantī) - thinking, pondering

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of cintayat

cintayat - thinking, pondering

Present Active Participle

Derived from verb root cint (to think, consider), feminine form with suffix -antī

Root: cint (class 10)

बुद्ध्या (buddhyā) - by intellect, with wisdom

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, wisdom

Derived from root budh (to know, understand)

Root: budh (class 1)

अथ (atha) - then, now, thereupon

(indeclinable)

तर्कयामास (tarkayāmāsa) - she pondered, she reasoned

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of tark

Periphrastic Perfect

Form of root tark (to reason) 3rd person singular, ātmanepada, periphrastic perfect

Root: tark (class 10)

भामिनी (bhāminī) - Princess Damayantī (a beautiful lady, a passionate woman)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhāminī

bhāminī - a beautiful woman, a passionate woman

Feminine noun from bhāman 'shining'

Root: bhā (class 2)

Note: Subject of the sentence (along with 'sā')

कथम् (katham) - how?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb

नु (nu) - indeed, then

(indeclinable)

Particle expressing doubt, question, or emphasis

देवान् (devān) - gods

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine being

Root: div (class 4)

Note: Object of 'jānīyām'

जानीयाम् (jānīyām) - may I know, how can I know

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of jñā

Optative Active

Form of root jñā (to know), 1st person singular, parasmaipada, optative mood

Root: jñā (class 9)

कथम् (katham) - how?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb

विद्याम् (vidyām) - may I know, how can I discern

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of vid

Optative Active

Form of root vid (to know), 1st person singular, parasmaipada, optative mood

Root: vid (class 2)

नलम् (nalam) - King Nala (Nala)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nala

nala - Nala (a king, protagonist of the Nala-Damayantī story)

Note: Object of 'vidyām'

नृपम् (nṛpam) - king

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, monarch

Note: Appositive to 'nalam'