महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-94, verse-15

श्रूयते तौ महात्मानौ नरनारायणावुभौ ।
तपो घोरमनिर्देश्यं तप्येते गन्धमादने ॥१५॥

15. śrūyate tau mahātmānau naranārāyaṇāvubhau ,
tapo ghoramanirdeśyaṁ tapyete gandhamādane.

15. śrūyate tau mahātmānau nara-nārāyaṇau ubhau
tapaḥ ghoram anirdeśyam tapyete gandhamādane

15. It is heard that those two great souls (mahātmānau), Nara and Nārāyaṇa, both perform terrible, indescribable (tapas) on Mount Gandhamādana.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रूयते (śrūyate) - it is heard, it is revealed

• तौ (tau) - those two

• महात्मानौ (mahātmānau) - great souls (mahātmānau) (great-souled, noble, sublime)

• नर-नारायणौ (nara-nārāyaṇau) - Nara and Narayana

• उभौ (ubhau) - both, two

• तपः (tapaḥ) - asceticism (tapas) (asceticism, penance, spiritual effort (tapas))

• घोरम् (ghoram) - terrible, dreadful, fierce

• अनिर्देश्यम् (anirdeśyam) - indescribable, ineffable, unmentionable

• तप्येते (tapyete) - they (dual) perform asceticism, they undergo penance

• गन्धमादने (gandhamādane) - on Mount Gandhamādana

Words meanings and morphology

श्रूयते (śrūyate) - it is heard, it is revealed

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of śru

Present tense passive/middle

3rd person singular passive/middle voice present indicative of root śru. śru (class 5) + ya (passive stem) + ate ending.

Root: śru (class 5)

तौ (tau) - those two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Nominative dual masculine.

Note: Subject of the implied verb, understood with śrūyate.

महात्मानौ (mahātmānau) - great souls (mahātmānau) (great-souled, noble, sublime)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, noble, sublime, a great being

mahā (great) + ātman (soul).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+ātman)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
  From mahat.
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, the individual soul or universal spirit (ātman)
  noun (masculine)
  n-stem noun.
  Root: an (class 2)

Note: Modifies Nara and Narayana.

नर-नारायणौ (nara-nārāyaṇau) - Nara and Narayana

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of nara-nārāyaṇa

nara-nārāyaṇa - Nara and Narayana (a pair of divine sages)

Dvandva compound of two proper names.

Compound type : dvandva (nara+nārāyaṇa)

• nara – man, a man
  proper noun (masculine)
• nārāyaṇa – Narayana (a name of Vishnu)
  proper noun (masculine)
  From nāra (water, human beings) + ayana (path, abode).

Note: Subject of the verb tapyete.

उभौ (ubhau) - both, two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of ubha

ubha - both

Dual form.

Note: Emphasizes both Nara and Narayana.

तपः (tapaḥ) - asceticism (tapas) (asceticism, penance, spiritual effort (tapas))

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - heat, pain, penance, asceticism, spiritual austerity (tapas)

s-stem noun.

Root: tap (class 1)

घोरम् (ghoram) - terrible, dreadful, fierce

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ghora

ghora - terrible, dreadful, awful, severe

अनिर्देश्यम् (anirdeśyam) - indescribable, ineffable, unmentionable

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of anirdeśya

anirdeśya - indescribable, not to be pointed out, undefined

Gerundive

a (negation) + nir (down, out) + root diś (to point, to show) + ya (gerundive suffix). "Not to be described."

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+nirdeśya)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• nirdeśya – describable, to be pointed out
  adjective (neuter)
  Gerundive
  From nir (out) + root diś (to point) + ya suffix.
  Prefix: nir
  Root: diś (class 6)

Note: Modifies tapas.

तप्येते (tapyete) - they (dual) perform asceticism, they undergo penance

(verb)

3rd person , dual, middle, present (laṭ) of tap

Present tense middle

3rd person dual middle voice present indicative of root tap. tap (class 4) -> tapya + ete ending.

Root: tap (class 4)

Note: Subject is nara-nārāyaṇau.

गन्धमादने (gandhamādane) - on Mount Gandhamādana

(proper noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of gandhamādana

gandhamādana - Gandhamadana (a mythical mountain, literally 'intoxicating with fragrance')

gandha (fragrance) + mādana (intoxicating, gladdening).

Compound type : tatpurusha (gandha+mādana)

• gandha – smell, fragrance, scent
  noun (masculine)
  From root gandh (to smell).
  Root: gandh (class 10)
• mādana – intoxicating, gladdening, exciting
  adjective (masculine)
  Causative agent noun/adjective
  From root mad (to be intoxicated/rejoice) + causative suffix i + ana suffix.
  Root: mad (class 4)

Note: Refers to the mountain.