महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-44, verse-18

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।
आभाति शुक्लमिव लोहितमिव अथो कृष्णमथाञ्जनं काद्रवं वा ।
तद्ब्राह्मणः पश्यति योऽत्र विद्वान्कथंरूपं तदमृतमक्षरं पदम् ॥१८॥

18. dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ,
ābhāti śuklamiva lohitamiva; atho kṛṣṇamathāñjanaṁ kādravaṁ vā ,
tadbrāhmaṇaḥ paśyati yo'tra vidvā;nkathaṁrūpaṁ tadamṛtamakṣaraṁ padam.

18. dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ābhāti śuklam iva
lohitam iva atho kṛṣṇam atha añjanam kādravam
vā tat brāhmaṇaḥ paśyati yaḥ atra
vidvān kathaṁrūpam tat amṛtam akṣaram padam

18. Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked: Does it appear white, or red, or black, or like collyrium (añjana), or even like the dark color of a poisonous snake? What is the form of that immortal, imperishable state (padam) that the wise Brahmin (brāhmaṇa) perceives here?

Words meanings summery:

• धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - King Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Dhṛtarāṣṭra (name of the king))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, spoke)

• आभाति (ābhāti) - does it appear (like)? (it shines, appears, becomes visible)

• शुक्लम् (śuklam) - white (color) (white, bright, pure)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• लोहितम् (lohitam) - red (color) (red, reddish)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

• अथो (atho) - or (connects alternative colors) (and then, also, moreover, or)

• कृष्णम् (kṛṣṇam) - black (color) (black, dark)

• अथ (atha) - and, or (and, then, now)

• अञ्जनम् (añjanam) - collyrium (a black cosmetic) (collyrium, ointment, black eye-paint)

• काद्रवम् (kādravam) - like the dark color of a poisonous snake (belonging to Kadru, dark-colored, brownish-black (like a snake's venom or skin))

• वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

• तत् (tat) - that (immortal state) (that, it)

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brahmin (brāhmaṇa) (a Brahmin, related to Brahman)

• पश्यति (paśyati) - perceives (he sees, perceives)

• यः (yaḥ) - who (who, which)

• अत्र (atra) - here (in this context, regarding this teaching) (here, in this place, in this matter)

• विद्वान् (vidvān) - wise (knowing, wise, learned)

• कथंरूपम् (kathaṁrūpam) - of what form (of what form, of what nature)

• तत् (tat) - that (immortal, imperishable state) (that, it)

• अमृतम् (amṛtam) - immortal (immortal, nectar, immortality)

• अक्षरम् (akṣaram) - imperishable (imperishable, indestructible, syllable)

• पदम् (padam) - state (of being, the ultimate state) (state, abode, position, step, word)

Words meanings and morphology

धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - King Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Dhṛtarāṣṭra (name of the king))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dhṛtarāṣṭra

dhṛtarāṣṭra - Dhṛtarāṣṭra (name of a king, literally 'he who holds the realm')

Compound type : bahuvrihi (dhṛta+rāṣṭra)

• dhṛta – held, borne, maintained
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √dhṛ (to hold, bear)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• rāṣṭra – kingdom, realm, country
  noun (neuter)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

आभाति (ābhāti) - does it appear (like)? (it shines, appears, becomes visible)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of ā-√bhā

Prefix: ā

Root: bhā (class 2)

शुक्लम् (śuklam) - white (color) (white, bright, pure)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śukla

śukla - white, bright, pure

Note: Used substantively here, 'the white (color)'.

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

लोहितम् (lohitam) - red (color) (red, reddish)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of lohita

lohita - red, reddish, copper-colored

Note: Used substantively here, 'the red (color)'.

इव (iva) - like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

अथो (atho) - or (connects alternative colors) (and then, also, moreover, or)

(indeclinable)

कृष्णम् (kṛṣṇam) - black (color) (black, dark)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kṛṣṇa

kṛṣṇa - black, dark, dark-blue, (name of Kṛṣṇa)

Note: Used substantively here, 'the black (color)'.

अथ (atha) - and, or (and, then, now)

(indeclinable)

Note: Forms sandhi with 'añjanam' as 'athāñjanam' in `roman_words_separated`.

अञ्जनम् (añjanam) - collyrium (a black cosmetic) (collyrium, ointment, black eye-paint)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of añjana

añjana - collyrium, ointment, black eye-paint, dark color

From √añj (to anoint, smear)

Root: añj (class 7)

Note: Refers to a dark, black substance.

काद्रवम् (kādravam) - like the dark color of a poisonous snake (belonging to Kadru, dark-colored, brownish-black (like a snake's venom or skin))

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kādrava

kādrava - belonging to Kadru, dark-colored, brownish-black, poisonous (like a snake)

Derived from Kadru (mother of snakes)

Note: Used substantively here, referring to 'the kādrava color'.

वा (vā) - or (or, either...or)

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that (immortal state) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the `padam`.

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brahmin (brāhmaṇa) (a Brahmin, related to Brahman)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin, a priest, related to Brahman

पश्यति (paśyati) - perceives (he sees, perceives)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of √dṛś

Root: dṛś (class 1)

यः (yaḥ) - who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Relates to 'brāhmaṇaḥ'.

अत्र (atra) - here (in this context, regarding this teaching) (here, in this place, in this matter)

(indeclinable)

विद्वान् (vidvān) - wise (knowing, wise, learned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vidvas

vidvas - knowing, wise, learned, a knower

Perfect Active Participle

From root √vid (to know)

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'brāhmaṇaḥ'.

कथंरूपम् (kathaṁrūpam) - of what form (of what form, of what nature)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kathaṁrūpa

kathaṁrūpa - of what form, of what nature, how appearing

Compound type : bahuvrihi (katham+rūpa)

• katham – how? in what manner?
  indeclinable
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance, nature
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with `tat padam`.

तत् (tat) - that (immortal, imperishable state) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the `padam`.

अमृतम् (amṛtam) - immortal (immortal, nectar, immortality)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of amṛta

amṛta - immortal, deathless, nectar, immortality

Note: Agrees with `padam`.

अक्षरम् (akṣaram) - imperishable (imperishable, indestructible, syllable)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of akṣara

akṣara - imperishable, indestructible, syllable, letter, Brahman

Note: Agrees with `padam`.

पदम् (padam) - state (of being, the ultimate state) (state, abode, position, step, word)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pada

pada - step, foot, mark, state, abode, word

Note: The ultimate state of liberation or Brahman.