महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-97, verse-20

लोपामुद्रोवाच ।
सहस्रसंमितः पुत्र एको मेऽस्तु तपोधन ।
एको हि बहुभिः श्रेयान्विद्वान्साधुरसाधुभिः ॥२०॥

20. lopāmudrovāca ,
sahasrasaṁmitaḥ putra eko me'stu tapodhana ,
eko hi bahubhiḥ śreyānvidvānsādhurasādhubhiḥ.

20. lopāmudrā uvāca sahásrasaṃmitaḥ putraḥ ekaḥ me astu
tapodhana | ekaḥ hi bahúbhiḥ śreyān vidvān sādhuḥ asādhúbhiḥ

20. Lopāmudrā said: 'O ascetic (tapodhana), may I have one son who is equal to a thousand (sons)! Indeed, a single wise and virtuous person is superior to many who are not virtuous.'

Words meanings summery:

• लोपामुद्रा (lopāmudrā) - Lopāmudrā

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• सह्áस्रसंमितः (sahásrasaṁmitaḥ) - a son equal to a thousand (sons) (equal to a thousand, thousand-measured)

• पुत्रः (putraḥ) - son

• एकः (ekaḥ) - one, a single

• मे (me) - to me, for me, my

• अस्तु (astu) - may it be, let it be

• तपोधन (tapodhana) - O ascetic, O wealth of austerity

• एकः (ekaḥ) - one, a single

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

• बह्úभिः (bahúbhiḥ) - superior compared to many (non-virtuous ones) (than many (by many))

• श्रेयान् (śreyān) - superior, better, more excellent

• विद्वान् (vidvān) - wise, learned, knowing

• साधुः (sādhuḥ) - virtuous, good, noble, righteous

• असाध्úभिः (asādhúbhiḥ) - than non-virtuous ones, by non-virtuous ones

Words meanings and morphology

लोपामुद्रा (lopāmudrā) - Lopāmudrā

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of lopāmudrā

lopāmudrā - Name of a female sage, wife of Agastya

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Root verb, class 2

Root: vac (class 2)

सह्áस्रसंमितः (sahásrasaṁmitaḥ) - a son equal to a thousand (sons) (equal to a thousand, thousand-measured)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sahásrasaṃmita

sahásrasaṁmita - equal to a thousand, resembling a thousand

Compound adjective

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sahásra+saṃmita)

• sahásra – thousand, a thousand, innumerable
  noun (neuter)
• saṃmita – measured, equivalent, equal to, similar
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past Passive Participle of verbal root √mā (to measure) with prefix sam-
  Prefix: sam
  Root: mā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'putraḥ'.

पुत्रः (putraḥ) - son

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of putra

putra - son, child

एकः (ekaḥ) - one, a single

(numeral)

मे (me) - to me, for me, my

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Can also be genitive singular. Here likely dative, 'for me'.

अस्तु (astu) - may it be, let it be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of as

Root verb, class 2

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Used here as a wish.

तपोधन (tapodhana) - O ascetic, O wealth of austerity

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of tapodhana

tapodhana - one whose wealth is austerity, an ascetic

Compound noun

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tapas+dhana)

• tapas – austerity, penance, heat, religious devotion
  noun (neuter)
  Root: tap (class 1)
• dhana – wealth, riches, property, treasure
  noun (neuter)
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Addressing Agastya, who is an ascetic.

एकः (ekaḥ) - one, a single

(numeral)

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

(indeclinable)

बह्úभिः (bahúbhiḥ) - superior compared to many (non-virtuous ones) (than many (by many))

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - many, much, numerous

Note: Instrumental case often used with comparatives to indicate the object of comparison ('superior by means of many').

श्रेयान् (śreyān) - superior, better, more excellent

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, superior, excellent, preferable, good fortune

Comparative form of 'śrī' or 'praśasya'

विद्वान् (vidvān) - wise, learned, knowing

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vidvat

vidvat - knowing, wise, learned

Present Active Participle

Present Active Participle of verbal root √vid (to know), class 2

Root: vid (class 2)

साधुः (sādhuḥ) - virtuous, good, noble, righteous

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sādhu

sādhu - good, virtuous, righteous, noble, a good person

Root: sādh (class 5)

असाध्úभिः (asādhúbhiḥ) - than non-virtuous ones, by non-virtuous ones

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of asādhu

asādhu - not good, non-virtuous, wicked, bad, a wicked person

Negated compound adjective

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sādhu)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• sādhu – good, virtuous, righteous, noble, a good person
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sādh (class 5)

Note: Agrees with 'bahúbhiḥ' and refers to many non-virtuous individuals.