महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-223, verse-4

स्तम्बमित्र उवाच ।
ज्येष्ठस्त्राता भवति वै ज्येष्ठो मुञ्चति कृच्छ्रतः ।
ज्येष्ठश्चेन्न प्रजानाति कनीयान्किं करिष्यति ॥४॥

4. stambamitra uvāca ,
jyeṣṭhastrātā bhavati vai jyeṣṭho muñcati kṛcchrataḥ ,
jyeṣṭhaścenna prajānāti kanīyānkiṁ kariṣyati.

4. stambamitra uvāca jyeṣṭhaḥ trātā bhavati vai jyeṣṭhaḥ muñcati
kṛcchrataḥ jyeṣṭhaḥ cet na prajānāti kanīyān kim kariṣyati

4. Stambamitra said: "The eldest is indeed the protector; the eldest saves from difficulty. If the eldest does not know what to do, what will the younger one do?"

Words meanings summery:

• स्तम्बमित्र (stambamitra) - Stambamitra (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - the eldest, the senior

• त्राता (trātā) - protector, saviour

• भवति (bhavati) - is, becomes, exists

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly

• ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - the eldest, the senior

• मुञ्चति (muñcati) - releases, frees, saves

• कृच्छ्रतः (kṛcchrataḥ) - from difficulty, from distress, with difficulty

• ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - the eldest, the senior

• चेत् (cet) - if, in case

• न (na) - not, no

• प्रजानाति (prajānāti) - knows, understands

• कनीयान् (kanīyān) - the younger, the junior

• किम् (kim) - what, why

• करिष्यति (kariṣyati) - will do, will make

Words meanings and morphology

स्तम्बमित्र (stambamitra) - Stambamitra (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of stambamitra

stambamitra - Stambamitra

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense

root vac, perfect 3rd singular, active voice

Root: vac (class 2)

ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - the eldest, the senior

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, oldest, best, most excellent

superlative of yuvan (young) or praśasya (excellent)

त्राता (trātā) - protector, saviour

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of trātṛ

trātṛ - protector, saviour, preserver

agent noun

derived from root trā (to protect)

Root: trā (class 2)

भवति (bhavati) - is, becomes, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of bhū

present tense

root bhū, present 3rd singular, active voice

Root: bhū (class 1)

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly

(indeclinable)

ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - the eldest, the senior

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, oldest, best, most excellent

superlative of yuvan (young) or praśasya (excellent)

मुञ्चति (muñcati) - releases, frees, saves

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of muc

present tense

root muc, present 3rd singular, active voice

Root: muc (class 6)

कृच्छ्रतः (kṛcchrataḥ) - from difficulty, from distress, with difficulty

(indeclinable)

suffix -tas indicating ablative sense; used adverbially

Note: Adverbial use of ablative suffix.

ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - the eldest, the senior

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, oldest, best, most excellent

superlative of yuvan (young) or praśasya (excellent)

चेत् (cet) - if, in case

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

प्रजानाति (prajānāti) - knows, understands

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of prajñā

present tense

root jñā, pra- prefixed, present 3rd singular, active voice

Prefix: pra

Root: jñā (class 9)

कनीयान् (kanīyān) - the younger, the junior

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kanīyas

kanīyas - younger, junior, smaller, inferior

comparative of yuvan (young)

किम् (kim) - what, why

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

interrogative pronoun

Note: Used adverbially here as 'what (will he do)'.

करिष्यति (kariṣyati) - will do, will make

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of kṛ

future tense

root kṛ, future 3rd singular, active voice

Root: kṛ (class 8)