महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-80, verse-12

पुरा भागीरथीतीरे भीष्मो धर्मभृतां वरः ।
पित्र्यं व्रतं समास्थाय न्यवसन्मुनिवत्तदा ॥१२॥

12. purā bhāgīrathītīre bhīṣmo dharmabhṛtāṁ varaḥ ,
pitryaṁ vrataṁ samāsthāya nyavasanmunivattadā.

12. purā bhāgīrathītīre bhīṣmaḥ dharmabhṛtām varaḥ
pitryam vratam samāsthāya nyavasat munivat tadā

12. Formerly, on the bank of the Gaṅgā (Bhāgīrathī), Bhīṣma, the foremost among the upholders of natural law (dharma), resided there like a sage, having undertaken his ancestral vow.

Words meanings summery:

• पुरा (purā) - formerly (formerly, in ancient times, before)

• भागीरथीतीरे (bhāgīrathītīre) - on the bank of the Gaṅgā (Bhāgīrathī)

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma (Bhīṣma (a Kuru warrior))

• धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of the upholders of natural law (dharma) (of the upholders of dharma/righteousness)

• वरः (varaḥ) - foremost (best, foremost, excellent)

• पित्र्यम् (pitryam) - ancestral (ancestral, paternal, inherited)

• व्रतम् (vratam) - vow (vow, sacred observance, religious duty)

• समास्थाय (samāsthāya) - having undertaken (having undertaken, having resolved upon, having resorted to)

• न्यवसत् (nyavasat) - resided (dwelt, resided, lived)

• मुनिवत् (munivat) - like a sage (like a sage, like an ascetic)

• तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

Words meanings and morphology

पुरा (purā) - formerly (formerly, in ancient times, before)

(indeclinable)

भागीरथीतीरे (bhāgīrathītīre) - on the bank of the Gaṅgā (Bhāgīrathī)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of bhāgīrathītīra

bhāgīrathītīra - bank of the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)

Compound.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bhāgīrathī+tīra)

• bhāgīrathī – the Gaṅgā river (daughter of Bhagiratha)
  proper noun (feminine)
  Derived from Bhagiratha.
• tīra – bank, shore, edge
  noun (neuter)

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma (Bhīṣma (a Kuru warrior))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhīṣma (name of a Kuru warrior, son of Gaṅgā and Śantanu)

धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of the upholders of natural law (dharma) (of the upholders of dharma/righteousness)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dharmabhṛt

dharmabhṛt - upholder of dharma, righteous, virtuous

Compound. Agent noun from `dhṛ` (to bear, hold) with `dharma`.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+bhṛt)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
• bhṛt – bearing, carrying, maintaining, upholding
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun
  Derived from root `bhṛ` (to bear, hold, support).
  Root: bhṛ (class 1)

Note: Denotes the group from which Bhīṣma is considered `varaḥ`.

वरः (varaḥ) - foremost (best, foremost, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, choice, boon

From root `vṛ` (to choose).

Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Agrees with `bhīṣmaḥ`.

पित्र्यम् (pitryam) - ancestral (ancestral, paternal, inherited)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pitrya

pitrya - ancestral, paternal, belonging to a father

Derived from `pitṛ` (father) with `ya` suffix.

व्रतम् (vratam) - vow (vow, sacred observance, religious duty)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vrata

vrata - vow, sacred observance, religious duty, rule

From root `vṛ` (to choose).

Root: vṛ (class 5)

समास्थाय (samāsthāya) - having undertaken (having undertaken, having resolved upon, having resorted to)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Absolutive form from root `sthā` (to stand) with prefixes `sam-` and `ā-`.

Prefixes: sam+ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Gerund form.

न्यवसत् (nyavasat) - resided (dwelt, resided, lived)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of ni-vas

Imperfect active

3rd person, singular, imperfect tense, active voice, with prefix `ni-`. The `y` in `nyavasat` is a result of `ni` + `avasat` by sandhi.

Prefix: ni

Root: vas (class 1)

मुनिवत् (munivat) - like a sage (like a sage, like an ascetic)

(indeclinable)

From `muni` (sage) with the suffix `vat` (like).

Note: Adverbial suffix `vat`.

तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)

From pronoun `tad` + suffix `dā` for time.