महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-4, chapter-3, verse-12

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
इयं तु नः प्रिया भार्या प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी ।
मातेव परिपाल्या च पूज्या ज्येष्ठेव च स्वसा ॥१२॥

12. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
iyaṁ tu naḥ priyā bhāryā prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī ,
māteva paripālyā ca pūjyā jyeṣṭheva ca svasā.

12. Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca iyam tu naḥ priyā bhāryā prāṇebhyaḥ api
garīyasī mātā iva paripālyā ca pūjyā jyeṣṭhā iva ca svasā

12. Yudhiṣṭhira spoke: Indeed, this beloved wife of ours is even more important than our very lives. She must be protected like a mother and revered like an elder sister.

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

• उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

• इयम् (iyam) - this (feminine)

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet, on the other hand

• नः (naḥ) - our (wife) (our, to us, us)

• प्रिया (priyā) - beloved, dear (feminine)

• भार्या (bhāryā) - wife, a woman to be supported/maintained

• प्राणेभ्यः (prāṇebhyaḥ) - than our lives (than lives, from breaths)

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• गरीयसी (garīyasī) - weightier, more important, greater (feminine)

• माता (mātā) - mother

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• परिपाल्या (paripālyā) - to be protected, to be cherished

• च (ca) - and, also

• पूज्या (pūjyā) - to be honored, to be worshipped

• ज्येष्ठा (jyeṣṭhā) - eldest, superior (feminine)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• च (ca) - and, also

• स्वसा (svasā) - sister

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of Yudhiṣṭhira

Yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle, Yudhiṣṭhira

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  locative of yudh (battle)
• sthira – firm, steady
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

3rd person singular perfect active of root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

इयम् (iyam) - this (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this

तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

नः (naḥ) - our (wife) (our, to us, us)

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of asmad

asmad - I, myself

Note: Can also be dative or accusative plural. Here, it is genitive of possession.

प्रिया (priyā) - beloved, dear (feminine)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of priya

priya - dear, beloved, pleasing

Root: prī (class 9)

Note: Agrees with 'bhāryā'.

भार्या (bhāryā) - wife, a woman to be supported/maintained

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhāryā

bhāryā - wife, a woman to be supported/maintained

Gerundive (passive future participle)

Derived from root bhṛ (to bear, support) with suffix -ya. Means "to be borne/supported", thus a wife

Root: bhṛ (class 3)

प्राणेभ्यः (prāṇebhyaḥ) - than our lives (than lives, from breaths)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, plural of prāṇa

prāṇa - breath, life, vital air

Prefix: pra

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Used with a comparative adjective (garīyasī) to indicate 'than X'.

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

गरीयसी (garīyasī) - weightier, more important, greater (feminine)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of guru

guru - heavy, weighty, important, venerable, teacher

Comparative

Comparative adjective derived from 'guru', feminine form

Note: Agrees with 'bhāryā'.

माता (mātā) - mother

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of mātṛ

mātṛ - mother

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

परिपाल्या (paripālyā) - to be protected, to be cherished

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of paripālya

paripālya - to be protected, to be maintained, to be cherished

Gerundive

Gerundive (passive future participle) from root pā (to protect) with prefix pari-

Prefix: pari

Root: pā (class 2)

Note: Implies obligation or necessity.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

पूज्या (pūjyā) - to be honored, to be worshipped

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pūjya

pūjya - to be honored, to be worshipped, worthy of respect

Gerundive

Gerundive (passive future participle) from root pūj (to honor)

Root: pūj (class 10)

Note: Implies obligation or necessity.

ज्येष्ठा (jyeṣṭhā) - eldest, superior (feminine)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, chief, best

Superlative

Superlative adjective, feminine form

Note: Agrees with 'svasā'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

स्वसा (svasā) - sister

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of svasṛ

svasṛ - sister