महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-59, verse-10

किं नु मे स्यादिदं कृत्वा किं नु मे स्यादकुर्वतः ।
किं नु मे मरणं श्रेयः परित्यागो जनस्य वा ॥१०॥

10. kiṁ nu me syādidaṁ kṛtvā kiṁ nu me syādakurvataḥ ,
kiṁ nu me maraṇaṁ śreyaḥ parityāgo janasya vā.

10. kim nu me syāt idam kṛtvā kim nu me syāt akurvataḥ
kim nu me maraṇam śreyaḥ parityāgaḥ janasya vā

10. What would become of me if I were to do this? And what if I were not to do it? Indeed, what is better for me: death, or the abandonment of (my) wife?

Words meanings summery:

• किम् (kim) - what (would be the outcome)? (what? why?)

• नु (nu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, now, then (interrogative particle))

• मे (me) - for me (to me, for me, my)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would become (of me) (it would be, may it be)

• इदम् (idam) - this (action) (this)

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - if I were to do (this) (having done, by doing)

• किम् (kim) - what (would be the outcome)? (what? why?)

• नु (nu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, now, then (interrogative particle))

• मे (me) - for me (to me, for me, my)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would become (of me) (it would be, may it be)

• अकुर्वतः (akurvataḥ) - if I were not to do (it) (of one not doing, not acting)

• किम् (kim) - what (would be the outcome)? (what? why?)

• नु (nu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, now, then (interrogative particle))

• मे (me) - for me (to me, for me, my)

• मरणम् (maraṇam) - death

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - more preferable (better, superior, more excellent)

• परित्यागः (parityāgaḥ) - abandonment (of Damayanti) (abandonment, renunciation)

• जनस्य (janasya) - of (my) wife (Damayanti) (of people, of a person)

• वा (vā) - or

Words meanings and morphology

किम् (kim) - what (would be the outcome)? (what? why?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who, how, why

नु (nu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, now, then (interrogative particle))

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - for me (to me, for me, my)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form of mama (genitive) or mahyam (dative).

स्यात् (syāt) - would become (of me) (it would be, may it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of as

Optative mood

Derived from root as.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Expresses possibility or desire.

इदम् (idam) - this (action) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Note: Refers to some implied action of 'doing'.

कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - if I were to do (this) (having done, by doing)

(indeclinable participle)

Note: Indicates a prior action or a condition.

किम् (kim) - what (would be the outcome)? (what? why?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who, how, why

नु (nu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, now, then (interrogative particle))

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - for me (to me, for me, my)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form of mama (genitive) or mahyam (dative).

स्यात् (syāt) - would become (of me) (it would be, may it be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of as

Optative mood

Derived from root as.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Expresses possibility or desire.

अकुर्वतः (akurvataḥ) - if I were not to do (it) (of one not doing, not acting)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of akurvat

akurvat - not doing, not acting

Present Active Participle

Negative prefix a + root kṛ (to do) + śatṛ suffix.

Prefix: a

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Used to express the condition of 'not doing'.

किम् (kim) - what (would be the outcome)? (what? why?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who, how, why

नु (nu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, now, then (interrogative particle))

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - for me (to me, for me, my)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form of mama (genitive) or mahyam (dative).

मरणम् (maraṇam) - death

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of maraṇa

maraṇa - death, dying, mortality

nominalization of verb

Derived from root mṛ (to die) with suffix lyuṭ.

Root: mṛ (class 6)

Note: Subject of implied 'syāt'.

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - more preferable (better, superior, more excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, preferable, superior, good fortune

Comparative form of praśasya (excellent).

Note: Predicate adjective for 'maraṇam' or 'parityāgaḥ'.

परित्यागः (parityāgaḥ) - abandonment (of Damayanti) (abandonment, renunciation)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parityāga

parityāga - abandonment, relinquishment, renunciation, sacrifice

nominalization of verb

Derived from pari + root tyaj (to abandon) with suffix ghañ.

Prefix: pari

Root: tyaj (class 1)

Note: Alternative subject for the question 'what is better'.

जनस्य (janasya) - of (my) wife (Damayanti) (of people, of a person)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of jana

jana - person, man, creature, people, race

Note: Possessive with 'parityāgaḥ'.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)