महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-101, verse-1

जनमेजय उवाच ।
किं कृतं कर्म धर्मेण येन शापमुपेयिवान् ।
कस्य शापाच्च ब्रह्मर्षे शूद्रयोनावजायत ॥१॥

1. janamejaya uvāca ,
kiṁ kṛtaṁ karma dharmeṇa yena śāpamupeyivān ,
kasya śāpācca brahmarṣe śūdrayonāvajāyata.

1. janamejayaḥ uvāca kim kṛtam karma dharmeṇa yena śāpam
upeyivān kasya śāpāt ca brahmarṣe śūdrayonau ajāyata

1. Janamejaya said: 'What action (karma) was performed by Dharma, due to which he incurred a curse? And from whose curse, O Brāhmaṇa sage, was he born in the womb of a śūdra (śūdra) woman?'

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• किम् (kim) - what (what, why)

• कृतम् (kṛtam) - performed (done, made, performed)

• कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, ritual, fate (karma))

• धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - by Dharma (the deity, or personified duty) (by Dharma, by righteousness)

• येन (yena) - due to which (by whom, by which)

• शापम् (śāpam) - curse

• उपेयिवान् (upeyivān) - incurred (having approached, having obtained, having incurred)

• कस्य (kasya) - whose, of whom

• शापात् (śāpāt) - from a curse, by a curse

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• ब्रह्मर्षे (brahmarṣe) - O Brāhmaṇa sage, O divine sage

• शूद्रयोनौ (śūdrayonau) - in the womb of a śūdra (śūdra) woman (in the womb of a śūdra, in a śūdra birth)

• अजायत (ajāyata) - was born, originated

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (name of a king, son of Parikshit)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active Voice

3rd person singular perfect active voice of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what (what, why)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why, how

Note: Also functions as an interrogative adverb.

कृतम् (kṛtam) - performed (done, made, performed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛta

kṛta - done, made, performed

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root 'kṛ' + suffix '-ta'

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Agrees with `karma`.

कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, ritual, fate (karma))

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma)

From root 'kṛ' (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: "Karma" as a term in translation.

धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - by Dharma (the deity, or personified duty) (by Dharma, by righteousness)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature; name of a deity

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Refers to the deity Dharma or the principle personified.

येन (yena) - due to which (by whom, by which)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: Refers to the action (karma).

शापम् (śāpam) - curse

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śāpa

śāpa - curse, imprecation

From root 'śap' (to curse)

Root: śap (class 1)

उपेयिवान् (upeyivān) - incurred (having approached, having obtained, having incurred)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of upeyivas

upeyivas - having approached, having obtained, having incurred

Perfect Active Participle

Formed from root 'i' (to go) with prefix 'upa' + suffix '-vas' (perfect active participle ending)

Prefix: upa

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Agrees with Dharma (implied subject).

कस्य (kasya) - whose, of whom

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

शापात् (śāpāt) - from a curse, by a curse

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of śāpa

śāpa - curse, imprecation

From root 'śap' (to curse)

Root: śap (class 1)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

ब्रह्मर्षे (brahmarṣe) - O Brāhmaṇa sage, O divine sage

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahmarṣi

brahmarṣi - a Brāhmaṇa sage, a divine sage

Compound of 'brahman' (Brahman, sacred knowledge) and 'ṛṣi' (sage)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+ṛṣi)

• brahman – Brahman (the Absolute Reality), sacred knowledge, prayer
  noun (neuter)
• ṛṣi – sage, seer
  noun (masculine)

Note: Addressed to the interlocutor.

शूद्रयोनौ (śūdrayonau) - in the womb of a śūdra (śūdra) woman (in the womb of a śūdra, in a śūdra birth)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of śūdrayoni

śūdrayoni - womb of a śūdra, birth in the śūdra class

Compound of 'śūdra' (member of the fourth social class) and 'yoni' (womb, origin)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śūdra+yoni)

• śūdra – member of the fourth social class
  noun (masculine)
• yoni – womb, origin, source, family, race
  noun (feminine)

Note: "śūdra" as a term in translation.

अजायत (ajāyata) - was born, originated

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of jan

Imperfect Middle Voice

3rd person singular imperfect middle voice of root 'jan'

Root: jan (class 4)