महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-107, verse-3

जनमेजय उवाच ।
कथं पुत्रशतं जज्ञे गान्धार्यां द्विजसत्तम ।
कियता चैव कालेन तेषामायुश्च किं परम् ॥३॥

3. janamejaya uvāca ,
kathaṁ putraśataṁ jajñe gāndhāryāṁ dvijasattama ,
kiyatā caiva kālena teṣāmāyuśca kiṁ param.

3. janamejaya uvāca katham putraśatam jajñe gāndhāryām
dvijasattama kiyatā ca eva kālena teṣām āyuḥ ca kim param

3. Janamejaya said: "O best among the twice-born (dvija), how were a hundred sons born to Gāndhārī? And in how much time, and what was their maximum lifespan?"

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजय (janamejaya) - Janamejaya

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

• पुत्रशतम् (putraśatam) - a hundred sons

• जज्ञे (jajñe) - were born, originated

• गान्धार्याम् (gāndhāryām) - to Gāndhārī (the queen, wife of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (in Gāndhārī, to Gāndhārī)

• द्विजसत्तम (dvijasattama) - O best of brāhmaṇas (addressing Vaiśampāyana) (O best of the twice-born (dvija))

• कियता (kiyatā) - in how much time (by how much, in how long)

• च (ca) - and, also

• एव (eva) - certainly, indeed, only

• कालेन (kālena) - by time, in time

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - of those (sons) (of them)

• आयुः (āyuḥ) - life, lifespan

• च (ca) - and, also

• किम् (kim) - what? which?

• परम् (param) - the maximum (extent) (supreme, highest, maximum, subsequent)

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजय (janamejaya) - Janamejaya

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (name of a king to whom the Mahābhārata is narrated)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

3rd person singular perfect active of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)

पुत्रशतम् (putraśatam) - a hundred sons

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of putraśata

putraśata - a hundred sons

Compound type : tatpurusha (putra+śata)

• putra – son, child
  noun (masculine)
• śata – hundred
  noun (neuter)

जज्ञे (jajñe) - were born, originated

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, perfect (lit) of jan

Perfect Middle

3rd person singular perfect middle of √jan

Root: jan (class 4)

गान्धार्याम् (gāndhāryām) - to Gāndhārī (the queen, wife of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (in Gāndhārī, to Gāndhārī)

(proper noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of gāndhārī

gāndhārī - Gāndhārī (name of the queen, wife of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and mother of the Kauravas)

द्विजसत्तम (dvijasattama) - O best of brāhmaṇas (addressing Vaiśampāyana) (O best of the twice-born (dvija))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - best among the twice-born (dvija)

Compound type : tatpurusha (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born (a term for brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas; especially brāhmaṇas)
  noun (masculine)
• sattama – best, most excellent (superlative of sat)
  adjective (masculine)

कियता (kiyatā) - in how much time (by how much, in how long)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kiyat

kiyat - how much, how many, how large

Note: Agrees with 'kālena'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - certainly, indeed, only

(indeclinable)

कालेन (kālena) - by time, in time

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kāla

kāla - time, period, season, proper time

Note: Often indicates 'within a period of time' when in instrumental.

तेषाम् (teṣām) - of those (sons) (of them)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Genitive plural of 'tad', masculine/neuter

Note: Refers to the hundred sons mentioned previously.

आयुः (āyuḥ) - life, lifespan

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of āyus

āyus - life, lifespan, vital power, age

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

किम् (kim) - what? which?

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what? which? why?

परम् (param) - the maximum (extent) (supreme, highest, maximum, subsequent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of para

para - other, supreme, superior, next, later, maximum, ultimate

Note: Agrees with 'kim' and 'āyuḥ'.