महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-40, verse-19

आत्मा नदी भारत पुण्यतीर्था सत्योदका धृतिकूला दमोर्मिः ।
तस्यां स्नातः पूयते पुण्यकर्मा पुण्यो ह्यात्मा नित्यमम्भोऽम्भ एव ॥१९॥

19. ātmā nadī bhārata puṇyatīrthā; satyodakā dhṛtikūlā damormiḥ ,
tasyāṁ snātaḥ pūyate puṇyakarmā; puṇyo hyātmā nityamambho'mbha eva.

19. ātman nadī bhārata puṇyatīrthā
satyodakā dhṛtikūlā damormiḥ | tasyām
snātaḥ pūyate puṇyakarmā puṇyaḥ
hi ātman nityam ambhaḥ ambhaḥ eva

19. O Bhārata, the (ātman) Self is a river whose sacred ford is virtue, whose water is truth, whose banks are firmness (dhṛti), and whose waves are self-restraint (dama). One who bathes in it becomes pure through virtuous actions. Indeed, the pure (ātman) Self is always like pure water itself.

Words meanings summery:

• आत्मन् (ātman) - The inner self, the individual soul or spirit. (Self, spirit, soul, essence)

• नदी (nadī) - river

• भारत (bhārata) - Address to a king or noble, likely Yudhiṣṭhira or Dhṛtarāṣṭra. (O Bhārata, descendant of Bharata)

• पुण्यतीर्था (puṇyatīrthā) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having virtue as its sacred ford. (having sacred fords, whose sacred ford is virtue)

• सत्योदका (satyodakā) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having truth as its water. (whose water is truth, having truth as water)

• धृतिकूला (dhṛtikūlā) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having steadfastness/firmness as its banks. (having firmness as its banks, whose banks are steadfastness)

• दमोर्मिः (damormiḥ) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having self-restraint as its waves. (whose waves are self-restraint, having self-control as waves)

• तस्याम् (tasyām) - In that river (ātman). (in that, in her)

• स्नातः (snātaḥ) - One who has performed the 'bath' in the river of ātman. (having bathed, one who has bathed)

• पूयते (pūyate) - is purified, becomes pure

• पुण्यकर्मा (puṇyakarmā) - Describes the person who becomes pure. (one whose actions are virtuous, one who performs good deeds)

• पुण्यः (puṇyaḥ) - Referring to the ātman as pure. (pure, virtuous, meritorious)

• हि (hi) - Emphasizing the statement. (indeed, surely, because)

• आत्मन् (ātman) - The inner self, the individual soul. (Self, spirit, soul, essence)

• नित्यम् (nityam) - always, constantly, perpetually

• अम्भः (ambhaḥ) - water

• अम्भः (ambhaḥ) - water

• एव (eva) - Emphasizing that the pure ātman *is* water itself. (indeed, only, just, quite)

Words meanings and morphology

आत्मन् (ātman) - The inner self, the individual soul or spirit. (Self, spirit, soul, essence)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - Self, soul, spirit, essence, living principle

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Refers to the individual self.

नदी (nadī) - river

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of nadī

nadī - river

Root: nad (class 1)

भारत (bhārata) - Address to a king or noble, likely Yudhiṣṭhira or Dhṛtarāṣṭra. (O Bhārata, descendant of Bharata)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhārata

bhārata - descendant of Bharata, relating to Bharata, India

पुण्यतीर्था (puṇyatīrthā) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having virtue as its sacred ford. (having sacred fords, whose sacred ford is virtue)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of puṇyatīrtha

puṇyatīrtha - having sacred fords, whose sacred ford is virtue

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (puṇya+tīrtha)

• puṇya – merit, virtue, righteousness, good
  noun (neuter)
• tīrtha – ford, bathing place, sacred place, teacher
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with `nadī`.

सत्योदका (satyodakā) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having truth as its water. (whose water is truth, having truth as water)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of satyodaka

satyodaka - whose water is truth, having truth as water

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (satya+udaka)

• satya – truth, true, real
  noun (neuter)
• udaka – water
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with `nadī`.

धृतिकूला (dhṛtikūlā) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having steadfastness/firmness as its banks. (having firmness as its banks, whose banks are steadfastness)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of dhṛtikūla

dhṛtikūla - having firmness as its banks, whose banks are steadfastness

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (dhṛti+kūla)

• dhṛti – firmness, steadfastness, resolve, patience
  noun (feminine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• kūla – bank (of a river), shore, embankment
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with `nadī`.

दमोर्मिः (damormiḥ) - Referring to the river (ātman) as having self-restraint as its waves. (whose waves are self-restraint, having self-control as waves)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of damormi

damormi - whose waves are self-restraint, having self-control as waves

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (dama+ūrmi)

• dama – self-control, self-restraint, subjugation
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dam (class 4)
• ūrmi – wave, billow, current
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with `nadī`.

तस्याम् (tasyām) - In that river (ātman). (in that, in her)

(pronoun)

Locative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, it

Note: Refers to `nadī` (the river of ātman).

स्नातः (snātaḥ) - One who has performed the 'bath' in the river of ātman. (having bathed, one who has bathed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of snāta

snāta - bathed, purified, one who has bathed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √snā (to bathe).

Root: snā (class 2)

Note: Functions adjectivally to describe the subject of `pūyate`.

पूयते (pūyate) - is purified, becomes pure

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle (passive sense), present (laṭ) of pūy

Passive voice, present tense, 3rd person singular, middle voice ending.

Root: pūy (class 1)

पुण्यकर्मा (puṇyakarmā) - Describes the person who becomes pure. (one whose actions are virtuous, one who performs good deeds)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puṇyakarman

puṇyakarman - performing virtuous actions, virtuous

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (puṇya+karman)

• puṇya – merit, virtue, righteousness, good
  noun (neuter)
• karman – action, deed, work, ritual (karma)
  noun (neuter)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Agrees with the implied subject of `pūyate`.

पुण्यः (puṇyaḥ) - Referring to the ātman as pure. (pure, virtuous, meritorious)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puṇya

puṇya - merit, virtue, righteousness, good, pure

Note: Agrees with `ātman`.

हि (hi) - Emphasizing the statement. (indeed, surely, because)

(indeclinable)

आत्मन् (ātman) - The inner self, the individual soul. (Self, spirit, soul, essence)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - Self, soul, spirit, essence, living principle

Root: an (class 2)

Note: The subject of the second part of the verse.

नित्यम् (nityam) - always, constantly, perpetually

(indeclinable)

Accusative singular neuter used adverbially.

Note: Adverbial use.

अम्भः (ambhaḥ) - water

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ambhas

ambhas - water

अम्भः (ambhaḥ) - water

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ambhas

ambhas - water

Note: The repetition emphasizes 'pure water itself'.

एव (eva) - Emphasizing that the pure ātman *is* water itself. (indeed, only, just, quite)

(indeclinable)