महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-148, verse-11

ब्राह्मणाः कस्य वक्तव्याः कस्य वा छन्दचारिणः ।
गुणैरेते हि वास्यन्ते कामगाः पक्षिणो यथा ॥११॥

11. brāhmaṇāḥ kasya vaktavyāḥ kasya vā chandacāriṇaḥ ,
guṇairete hi vāsyante kāmagāḥ pakṣiṇo yathā.

11. brāhmaṇāḥ kasya vaktavyāḥ kasya vā chanda-cāriṇaḥ
guṇaiḥ ete hi vāsyante kāma-gāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ yathā

11. To whom should brāhmaṇas be commanded? Or to whose will are they subservient? Indeed, these [brāhmaṇas] are influenced by [their intrinsic] qualities, just like birds who roam wherever they wish.

Words meanings summery:

• ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - Brāhmaṇas, priestly class

• कस्य (kasya) - to whom (should they be commanded) (whose, to whom, for whom)

• वक्तव्याः (vaktavyāḥ) - to be commanded (to be spoken, to be commanded, fit to be said)

• कस्य (kasya) - to whose (will are they subservient) (whose, to whom, for whom)

• वा (vā) - or

• छन्द-चारिणः (chanda-cāriṇaḥ) - moving according to one's will, free-willed

• गुणैः (guṇaiḥ) - by their intrinsic good qualities/virtues (by qualities, by virtues, by properties)

• एते (ete) - these brāhmaṇas (these)

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

• वास्यन्ते (vāsyante) - they are attracted by / influenced by (they are attracted, they dwell, they are scented)

• काम-गाः (kāma-gāḥ) - moving at will, going as desired, free-moving

• पक्षिणः (pakṣiṇaḥ) - birds

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

Words meanings and morphology

ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - Brāhmaṇas, priestly class

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - Brāhmaṇa, priestly class, one belonging to the brahman caste

कस्य (kasya) - to whom (should they be commanded) (whose, to whom, for whom)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Used in a dative sense with vaktavyāḥ

वक्तव्याः (vaktavyāḥ) - to be commanded (to be spoken, to be commanded, fit to be said)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vaktavya

vaktavya - to be spoken, to be commanded, fit to be said

Gerundive (karmaṇi kṛtya)

from root vac + tavya suffix

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Agrees with brāhmaṇāḥ

कस्य (kasya) - to whose (will are they subservient) (whose, to whom, for whom)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Possessive with chanda-cāriṇaḥ

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

छन्द-चारिणः (chanda-cāriṇaḥ) - moving according to one's will, free-willed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of chanda-cārin

chanda-cārin - moving according to one's will, free-willed

from chanda (will) + cārin (moving)

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (chanda+cārin)

• chanda – will, desire, pleasure, meter
  noun (neuter)
• cārin – moving, going, practicing
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun
  from root car + ṇini
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Agrees with brāhmaṇāḥ

गुणैः (guṇaiḥ) - by their intrinsic good qualities/virtues (by qualities, by virtues, by properties)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, virtue, attribute, constituent of nature

एते (ete) - these brāhmaṇas (these)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Note: Refers to brāhmaṇāḥ

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

(indeclinable)

वास्यन्ते (vāsyante) - they are attracted by / influenced by (they are attracted, they dwell, they are scented)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, present (laṭ) of vās

present passive 3rd plural from root vās (to dwell/scent)

Root: vās (class 4)

काम-गाः (kāma-gāḥ) - moving at will, going as desired, free-moving

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kāma-ga

kāma-ga - moving at will, going as desired, free-moving

from kāma (desire) + ga (going)

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (kāma+ga)

• kāma – desire, wish, love
  noun (masculine)
• ga – going, moving
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun
  from root gam + ḍa
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Agrees with pakṣiṇaḥ

पक्षिणः (pakṣiṇaḥ) - birds

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pakṣin

pakṣin - bird, winged creature

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, like

(indeclinable)