महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-61, verse-85

को नु मे जीवितेनार्थस्तमृते पुरुषर्षभम् ।
कथं भविष्याम्यद्याहं भर्तृशोकाभिपीडिता ॥८५॥

85. ko nu me jīvitenārthastamṛte puruṣarṣabham ,
kathaṁ bhaviṣyāmyadyāhaṁ bhartṛśokābhipīḍitā.

85. kaḥ nu me jīvitena arthaḥ tam ṛte puruṣarṣabham
katham bhaviṣyāmi adya aham bhartṛśokābhipīḍitā

85. What purpose does life hold for me without that foremost among men (puruṣarṣabha)? How can I continue to exist now, afflicted by grief for my husband?

Words meanings summery:

• कः (kaḥ) - who, what

• नु (nu) - indeed, now, then, surely, an interrogative particle

• मे (me) - to me, for me, my

• जीवितेन (jīvitena) - by life

• अर्थः (arthaḥ) - purpose, use (purpose, meaning, wealth, thing)

• तम् (tam) - him, that

• ऋते (ṛte) - without, except for, apart from

• पुरुषर्षभम् (puruṣarṣabham) - Nala, the best of men (the best of men, foremost among men)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what way

• भविष्यामि (bhaviṣyāmi) - I shall be, I will become, I will exist

• अद्य (adya) - today, now

• अहम् (aham) - I

• भर्तृशोकाभिपीडिता (bhartṛśokābhipīḍitā) - tormented/afflicted by grief for her husband

Words meanings and morphology

कः (kaḥ) - who, what

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Interrogative pronoun.

नु (nu) - indeed, now, then, surely, an interrogative particle

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - to me, for me, my

(pronoun)

singular of aham

aham - I

Note: Enclitic pronominal form of the first person pronoun.

जीवितेन (jīvitena) - by life

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of jīvita

jīvita - life, livelihood, living

Derived from the root 'jīv' (to live), often a past passive participle used as a noun.

Root: jīv (class 1)

अर्थः (arthaḥ) - purpose, use (purpose, meaning, wealth, thing)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - purpose, meaning, wealth, object, thing

तम् (tam) - him, that

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

ऋते (ṛte) - without, except for, apart from

(indeclinable)

Note: Governs the accusative case.

पुरुषर्षभम् (puruṣarṣabham) - Nala, the best of men (the best of men, foremost among men)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of puruṣarṣabha

puruṣarṣabha - bull among men, best of men, foremost man

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (puruṣa+ṛṣabha)

• puruṣa – man, person, male
  noun (masculine)
• ṛṣabha – bull, best, excellent, chief
  noun (masculine)

Note: In apposition to 'tam'.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what way

(indeclinable)

भविष्यामि (bhaviṣyāmi) - I shall be, I will become, I will exist

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

अद्य (adya) - today, now

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I

Note: The speaker (Damayantī) is feminine, but the pronoun 'aham' itself is gender-neutral.

भर्तृशोकाभिपीडिता (bhartṛśokābhipīḍitā) - tormented/afflicted by grief for her husband

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhartṛśokābhipīḍita

bhartṛśokābhipīḍita - afflicted by grief for husband

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bhartṛ+śoka+abhipīḍita)

• bhartṛ – husband, supporter, maintainer
  noun (masculine)
• śoka – grief, sorrow, lamentation
  noun (masculine)
• abhipīḍita – afflicted, tormented, oppressed
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past Passive Participle of the root 'pīḍ' (to torment) with the prefix 'abhi'.
  Prefix: abhi
  Root: pīḍ (class 10)

Note: Qualifies 'aham' (Damayantī).