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.

11. אין לתת לבְּרַהְמִינִים הוראות, ואין הם כפופים לאיש, כי הם פועלים כרצונם. הם שוכנים במקום שיש בו מעלות, כמו ציפורים הנודדות לאן שהן רוצות.

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)

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