महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-11, verse-16

तदिदं क्षत्रियस्यासीत्कर्म वै शृणु मे रुरो ।
जनमेजयस्य धर्मात्मन्सर्पाणां हिंसनं पुरा ॥१६॥

16. tadidaṁ kṣatriyasyāsītkarma vai śṛṇu me ruro ,
janamejayasya dharmātmansarpāṇāṁ hiṁsanaṁ purā.

16. tat idam kṣatriyasya āsīt karma vai śṛṇu me ruro
janamejayasya dharmātman sarpāṇām hiṃsanam purā

16. This, indeed, was the duty of a Kṣatriya. Listen to me, O Ruru! O virtuous one, (it was exemplified by) Janamejaya's slaying of serpents in the past.

Words meanings summery:

• तत् (tat) - referring to the Kṣatriya duty previously described (that, this)

• इदम् (idam) - referring to the specific example to be given next (this, here)

• क्षत्रियस्य (kṣatriyasya) - belonging to the warrior/ruling class (of a Kṣatriya)

• आसीत् (āsīt) - indicates a past state of being or action for the Kṣatriya dharma (was, existed)

• कर्म (karma) - the specific set of actions or duties appropriate for a Kṣatriya (action, deed, work, duty)

• वै (vai) - emphasizes the certainty of the statement about Kṣatriya duty (indeed, certainly, verily)

• शृणु (śṛṇu) - an imperative command to pay attention to the upcoming explanation (listen, hear)

• मे (me) - listen to my words/instructions (to me, my, for me)

• रुरो (ruro) - vocative address to the sage Ruru, a character in the Mahabharata (O Ruru)

• जनमेजयस्य (janamejayasya) - referring to the king Janamejaya, known for his serpent sacrifice (Sarpa Sattra) (of Janamejaya)

• धर्मात्मन् (dharmātman) - an honorific address emphasizing the listener's virtuous nature (O righteous soul, O virtuous one)

• सर्पाणाम् (sarpāṇām) - referring to the class of creatures that were targeted in King Janamejaya's sacrifice (of serpents)

• हिंसनम् (hiṁsanam) - the act of slaying, specifically in the context of Janamejaya's great serpent sacrifice (harming, injuring, killing, violence)

• पुरा (purā) - referring to a well-known historical or mythological event from ancient times (formerly, in ancient times, before, in the past)

Words meanings and morphology

तत् (tat) - referring to the Kṣatriya duty previously described (that, this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, it

इदम् (idam) - referring to the specific example to be given next (this, here)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, here

क्षत्रियस्य (kṣatriyasya) - belonging to the warrior/ruling class (of a Kṣatriya)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kṣatriya

kṣatriya - belonging to the Kṣatra (ruling power), a member of the warrior/ruling caste

आसीत् (āsīt) - indicates a past state of being or action for the Kṣatriya dharma (was, existed)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

कर्म (karma) - the specific set of actions or duties appropriate for a Kṣatriya (action, deed, work, duty)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, duty, fate

action noun

from √kṛ (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वै (vai) - emphasizes the certainty of the statement about Kṣatriya duty (indeed, certainly, verily)

(indeclinable)

शृणु (śṛṇu) - an imperative command to pay attention to the upcoming explanation (listen, hear)

(verb)

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

Root: śru (class 5)

मे (me) - listen to my words/instructions (to me, my, for me)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

Note: often used dative with verbs like śru for 'listen to'

रुरो (ruro) - vocative address to the sage Ruru, a character in the Mahabharata (O Ruru)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of ruru

ruru - a deer, a sage (proper name)

जनमेजयस्य (janamejayasya) - referring to the king Janamejaya, known for his serpent sacrifice (Sarpa Sattra) (of Janamejaya)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - a king, son of Parikṣit, known for his serpent sacrifice (proper name)

धर्मात्मन् (dharmātman) - an honorific address emphasizing the listener's virtuous nature (O righteous soul, O virtuous one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of dharmātman

dharmātman - righteous soul, virtuous nature, one whose self is dharma

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (dharma+ātman)

• dharma – duty, righteousness, virtue, law
  noun (masculine)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)

सर्पाणाम् (sarpāṇām) - referring to the class of creatures that were targeted in King Janamejaya's sacrifice (of serpents)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sarpa

sarpa - serpent, snake

from √sṛp (to creep)

Root: sṛp (class 1)

हिंसनम् (hiṁsanam) - the act of slaying, specifically in the context of Janamejaya's great serpent sacrifice (harming, injuring, killing, violence)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of hiṃsana

hiṁsana - harming, injuring, killing, violence

action noun

from √hiṃs (to harm, kill)

Root: hiṃs (class 7)

पुरा (purā) - referring to a well-known historical or mythological event from ancient times (formerly, in ancient times, before, in the past)

(indeclinable)