योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-7, chapter-86, verse-49

क्वचिद्भारतयुद्धेन निहताक्षौहिणीगणम् ।
श्रीराम उवाच ।
किमहं भगवन्पूर्वमभवं कथयेति मे ॥ ४९ ॥

kvacidbhāratayuddhena nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇam ,
śrīrāma uvāca ,
kimahaṃ bhagavanpūrvamabhavaṃ kathayeti me 49

49. kvacit bhāratayuddhena nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇam śrīrāma uvāca
kim aham iti bhagavan pūrvam abhavam kathaya iti me

49. kvacit bhāratayuddhena nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇam.
śrīrāma uvāca: bhagavan,
kim aham pūrvam abhavam iti me kathaya.

49. Sometimes, it (the sky/world) is marked by the Mahābhārata war, with hordes of armies (akṣauhiṇī) annihilated. Śrī Rāma said: 'O Lord, tell me what I was in a previous existence.'

Words meanings summery:

• क्वचित् (kvacit) - sometimes, somewhere

• भारतयुद्धेन (bhāratayuddhena) - by the Mahābhārata war

• निहताक्षौहिणीगणम् (nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇam) - having multitudes of destroyed akṣauhiṇīs (armies)

• श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Śrī Rāma

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• किम् (kim) - what?, which?, why?

• अहम् (aham) - I

• इति (iti) - thus, in this way (marks quotation)

• भगवन् (bhagavan) - O Lord (Vasiṣṭha) (O Lord, O venerable one)

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - previously, formerly, in the past

• अभवम् (abhavam) - I was (in a past life) (I was, I became)

• कथय (kathaya) - tell, relate (imperative)

• इति (iti) - thus, in this way (marks quotation)

• मे (me) - to me, for me (dative/genitive of I)

Words meanings and morphology

क्वचित् (kvacit) - sometimes, somewhere

(indeclinable)

भारतयुद्धेन (bhāratayuddhena) - by the Mahābhārata war

(proper noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of bhāratayuddha

bhāratayuddha - the Mahābhārata war

Tatpurusha compound: bhārata (related to Bhārata) + yuddha (war).

Compound type : tatpurusha (bhārata+yuddha)

• bhārata – relating to Bhārata (India), Indian
  adjective (neuter)
• yuddha – war, battle
  noun (neuter)
  From root yudh (to fight).
  Root: yudh (class 4)

Note: Describes the circumstance or means associated with the destruction of armies.

निहताक्षौहिणीगणम् (nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇam) - having multitudes of destroyed akṣauhiṇīs (armies)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇa

nihatākṣauhiṇīgaṇa - having a multitude of slain akṣauhiṇī armies; characterized by annihilated hosts of armies

Bahuvrihi compound: nihata (slain) + akṣauhiṇī (a large army unit) + gaṇa (multitude).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (nihata+akṣauhiṇī+gaṇa)

• nihata – slain, killed, destroyed
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root han (to strike, kill) with prefix ni- (down, completely).
  Prefix: ni
  Root: han (class 2)
• akṣauhiṇī – an akṣauhiṇī (a specific very large army formation mentioned in epics)
  noun (feminine)
• gaṇa – multitude, group, host, troop
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with implied ambaram from previous verses.

श्रीराम (śrīrāma) - Śrī Rāma

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrīrāma

śrīrāma - Lord Rāma (an honorific prefix Śrī combined with the proper name Rāma)

Compound of śrī (auspicious) + rāma (Rāma).

Compound type : tatpurusha (śrī+rāma)

• śrī – auspiciousness, wealth, glory; honorific prefix
  indeclinable
• rāma – Rāma (proper name of a Hindu deity, central figure of the Rāmāyaṇa)
  proper noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active indicative, class 2, P.P.

Perfect tense form from root vac, reduplicated as uvāca. Parasmaipada verb.

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what?, which?, why?

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Functions as an interrogative pronoun for 'what' or an interrogative adverb.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we (first person pronoun)

Note: Subject of abhavam.

इति (iti) - thus, in this way (marks quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Here, it might mark the preceding phrase 'kim aham' as a specific question.

भगवन् (bhagavan) - O Lord (Vasiṣṭha) (O Lord, O venerable one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - resplendent, fortunate, divine, venerable; Lord (used as an address)

Note: Vocative case, addressing Vasiṣṭha.

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - previously, formerly, in the past

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an adverb.

अभवम् (abhavam) - I was (in a past life) (I was, I became)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of bhū

Imperfect active indicative, class 1, P.P.

Imperfect tense form from root bhū (class 1), with augment a-. Parasmaipada verb.

Root: bhū (class 1)

कथय (kathaya) - tell, relate (imperative)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of kath

Imperative active, class 10, P.P.

Imperative form from root kath (class 10, denominative of kathā 'story'). Parasmaipada verb.

Root: kath (class 10)

इति (iti) - thus, in this way (marks quotation)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the end of Rāma's full question.

मे (me) - to me, for me (dative/genitive of I)

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, we (first person pronoun)

Note: Dative case, 'to me'.