महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-58, verse-28

नल उवाच ।
एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वं दमयन्ति सुमध्यमे ।
नास्ति भार्यासमं मित्रं नरस्यार्तस्य भेषजम् ॥२८॥

28. nala uvāca ,
evametadyathāttha tvaṁ damayanti sumadhyame ,
nāsti bhāryāsamaṁ mitraṁ narasyārtasya bheṣajam.

28. nala uvāca evam etat yathā āttha tvam damayanti sumadhyame
na asti bhāryāsamam mitram narasya ārtasya bheṣajam

28. Nala said: 'O Damayanti, O slender-waisted one, it is exactly as you say. There is no friend equal to a wife, nor is there a remedy for a distressed man.'

Words meanings summery:

• नल (nala) - King Nala, husband of Damayanti (Nala)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• एवम् (evam) - thus, so, exactly so

• एतत् (etat) - Refers to Damayanti's previous statement. (this)

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, according to

• आत्थ (āttha) - you say, you speak

• त्वम् (tvam) - Damayanti (you)

• दमयन्ति (damayanti) - Addressed to Queen Damayanti (O Damayanti)

• सुमध्यमे (sumadhyame) - Epithet for Damayanti (O slender-waisted one, O fair-waisted one)

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• भार्यासमम् (bhāryāsamam) - equal to a wife, like a wife

• मित्रम् (mitram) - friend, ally

• नरस्य (narasya) - of a man, of a human being

• आर्तस्य (ārtasya) - of the distressed, of the suffering

• भेषजम् (bheṣajam) - medicine, remedy

Words meanings and morphology

नल (nala) - King Nala, husband of Damayanti (Nala)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nala

nala - Nala (proper name of a king), a kind of reed

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active

Reduplicated perfect from root vac (class 2).

Root: vac (class 2)

एवम् (evam) - thus, so, exactly so

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying the affirmation of 'etat'.

एतत् (etat) - Refers to Damayanti's previous statement. (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one, it

Note: Subject of an implied 'is'.

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, according to

(indeclinable)

आत्थ (āttha) - you say, you speak

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of brū

Perfect active

Reduplicated perfect 2nd person singular from root brū (class 2) or vac.

Root: brū (class 2)

त्वम् (tvam) - Damayanti (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Subject of 'āttha'.

दमयन्ति (damayanti) - Addressed to Queen Damayanti (O Damayanti)

(proper noun)

Vocative, feminine, singular of damayantī

damayantī - Damayanti (proper name of Nala's wife)

Root: dam (class 4)

सुमध्यमे (sumadhyame) - Epithet for Damayanti (O slender-waisted one, O fair-waisted one)

(adjective)

Vocative, feminine, singular of sumadhyamā

sumadhyamā - slender-waisted, fair-waisted, having a beautiful middle

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (su+madhyamā)

• su – good, well, excellent, beautiful
  indeclinable
  Prefix used to denote excellence or ease.
• madhyamā – middle, waist, middle finger
  noun (feminine)
  Feminine form of madhyama.
  Root: madh

Note: Agrees with 'damayanti'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'asti'.

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Present active

From root as (class 2).

Root: as (class 2)

भार्यासमम् (bhāryāsamam) - equal to a wife, like a wife

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhāryāsama

bhāryāsama - equal to a wife, resembling a wife

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bhāryā+sama)

• bhāryā – wife, spouse
  noun (feminine)
  From root bhṛ (to bear, support).
  Root: bhṛ (class 3)
• sama – equal, similar, same, like
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Predicative adjective for 'mitram' and 'bheṣajam'.

मित्रम् (mitram) - friend, ally

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mitra

mitra - friend, companion, ally, sun

Root: mid

Note: Subject of 'asti'.

नरस्य (narasya) - of a man, of a human being

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, human being

Root: nṛ

Note: Qualifies 'ārtasya'.

आर्तस्य (ārtasya) - of the distressed, of the suffering

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ārta

ārta - afflicted, distressed, suffering, pained

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root ṛ (to go, to move) with prefix ā and suffix -ta.

Prefix: ā

Root: ṛ (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'narasya'.

भेषजम् (bheṣajam) - medicine, remedy

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bheṣaja

bheṣaja - medicine, remedy, cure, herb

Derived from bhiṣaj (physician) + -a.

Note: Predicative nominative, implicitly governed by 'asti'.