महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-13, verse-1

शौनक उवाच ।
किमर्थं राजशार्दूलः स राजा जनमेजयः ।
सर्पसत्रेण सर्पाणां गतोऽन्तं तद्वदस्व मे ॥१॥

1. śaunaka uvāca ,
kimarthaṁ rājaśārdūlaḥ sa rājā janamejayaḥ ,
sarpasatreṇa sarpāṇāṁ gato'ntaṁ tadvadasva me.

1. śaunaka uvāca kimartham rājaśārdūlaḥ sa rājā janamejayaḥ
sarpasatreṇa sarpāṇām gataḥ antam tat vadasva me

1. Śaunaka said: 'O tiger among kings, why did that King Janamejaya bring about the end of the serpents through the serpent sacrifice? Please tell me that.'

Words meanings summery:

• शौनक (śaunaka) - Śaunaka (Śaunaka (proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said

• किमर्थम् (kimartham) - why (why, for what purpose)

• राजशार्दूलः (rājaśārdūlaḥ) - O tiger among kings (O tiger among kings, O best of kings)

• स (sa) - that (that, he)

• राजा (rājā) - King

• जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya (Janamejaya (proper name))

• सर्पसत्रेण (sarpasatreṇa) - through the serpent sacrifice (by means of the serpent sacrifice)

• सर्पाणाम् (sarpāṇām) - of the serpents

• गतः (gataḥ) - brought (to) (gone, reached)

• अन्तम् (antam) - the end (end, destruction, limit)

• तत् (tat) - that (story/event) (that)

• वदस्व (vadasva) - tell (tell, speak)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

Words meanings and morphology

शौनक (śaunaka) - Śaunaka (Śaunaka (proper name))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śaunaka

śaunaka - Śaunaka (name of a sage)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - said

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Perfect of √vac.

किमर्थम् (kimartham) - why (why, for what purpose)

(indeclinable)

compound of kim + artha

Compound type : tatpurusha (kim+artha)

• kim – what, which
  pronoun (neuter)
• artha – purpose, meaning, object, wealth
  noun (masculine)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

राजशार्दूलः (rājaśārdūlaḥ) - O tiger among kings (O tiger among kings, O best of kings)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājaśārdūla

rājaśārdūla - a tiger among kings, a paramount king

compound of rājan + śārdūla

Compound type : tatpurusha (rājan+śārdūla)

• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
• śārdūla – tiger
  noun (masculine)

Note: Address to Sūta.

स (sa) - that (that, he)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Qualifies rājā.

राजा (rājā) - King

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Note: Subject of the implicit verb of 'doing'.

जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya (Janamejaya (proper name))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

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

Note: Proper name, in apposition to rājā.

सर्पसत्रेण (sarpasatreṇa) - through the serpent sacrifice (by means of the serpent sacrifice)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of sarpasatra

sarpasatra - serpent sacrifice

tatpurusha compound: sarpa (serpent) + satra (sacrifice)

Compound type : tatpurusha (sarpa+satra)

• sarpa – serpent, snake
  noun (masculine)
  Root: sṛp (class 1)
• satra – sacrifice, sacrificial session
  noun (neuter)
  action noun
  from √sad with tra suffix
  Root: sad (class 1)

Note: Instrument of bringing about the end.

सर्पाणाम् (sarpāṇām) - of the serpents

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sarpa

sarpa - serpent, snake

Root: sṛp (class 1)

Note: Possessive, 'the end of the serpents.'

गतः (gataḥ) - brought (to) (gone, reached)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of gata

gata - gone, reached, obtained

past passive participle

PPP of √gam

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Janamejaya, 'having gone to the end' = 'brought to the end'.

अन्तम् (antam) - the end (end, destruction, limit)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of anta

anta - end, limit, boundary, destruction

Note: Object of gataḥ (implicitly).

तत् (tat) - that (story/event) (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Object of vadasva.

वदस्व (vadasva) - tell (tell, speak)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of √vad

Root: vad (class 1)

Note: Addressed to Sūta.

मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Indirect object of vadasva.