महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-224, verse-24

जरितोवाच ।
किं ते ज्येष्ठे सुते कार्यं किमनन्तरजेन वा ।
किं च ते मध्यमे कार्यं किं कनिष्ठे तपस्विनि ॥२४॥

24. jaritovāca ,
kiṁ te jyeṣṭhe sute kāryaṁ kimanantarajena vā ,
kiṁ ca te madhyame kāryaṁ kiṁ kaniṣṭhe tapasvini.

24. jaritā uvāca kim te jyeṣṭhe sute kāryam kim anantarajena
vā kim ca te madhyame kāryam kim kaniṣṭhe tapasvini

24. Jaritā said: 'What concern do you have for your eldest son, or for the one born after him? And what concern do you have for your middle son, or for your youngest son, the ascetic (tapasvin)?'

Words meanings summery:

• जरिता (jaritā) - The name of the female bird, Mandapāla's wife. (Jaritā (proper noun))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

• ते (te) - your (referring to Mandapāla) (to you, your)

• ज्येष्ठे (jyeṣṭhe) - eldest

• सुते (sute) - son, child

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - concern, purpose. (work, business, duty, purpose, concern)

• किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

• अनन्तरजेन (anantarajena) - with the next born, with the one immediately following

• वा (vā) - or

• किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

• च (ca) - and

• ते (te) - your (referring to Mandapāla) (to you, your)

• मध्यमे (madhyame) - middle

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - concern, purpose. (work, business, duty, purpose, concern)

• किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

• कनिष्ठे (kaniṣṭhe) - youngest

• तपस्विनि (tapasvini) - ascetic, one who practices tapas (tapas)

Words meanings and morphology

जरिता (jaritā) - The name of the female bird, Mandapāla's wife. (Jaritā (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of jaritā

jaritā - Jaritā (name of a female bird)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

(indeclinable)

Note: Acts as an interrogative adverb meaning 'what for' or 'why'.

ते (te) - your (referring to Mandapāla) (to you, your)

(pronoun)

singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

Note: Enclitic pronominal form.

ज्येष्ठे (jyeṣṭhe) - eldest

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, oldest, best

Superlative form of 'vr̥ddha' (old)

Note: Qualifies sute.

सुते (sute) - son, child

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of suta

suta - son, child

Past Passive Participle (of sū)

Derived from root 'sū' (to give birth, to produce) with suffix 'kta'

Root: sū (class 2)

Note: The locative case here expresses 'with regard to' or 'concerning'.

कार्यम् (kāryam) - concern, purpose. (work, business, duty, purpose, concern)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - work, business, duty, to be done

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

Derived from root 'kṛ' (to do, to make) with suffix 'ṇyat'

Root: kṛ (class 8)

किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

(indeclinable)

अनन्तरजेन (anantarajena) - with the next born, with the one immediately following

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of anantaraja

anantaraja - next born, immediately following

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (anantara+ja)

• anantara – without interval, immediate, next
  adjective
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective
  Derived from root 'jan' (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - your (referring to Mandapāla) (to you, your)

(pronoun)

singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

मध्यमे (madhyame) - middle

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of madhyama

madhyama - middle, intermediate

Note: Qualifies sute (implied).

कार्यम् (kāryam) - concern, purpose. (work, business, duty, purpose, concern)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - work, business, duty, to be done

Gerundive/Future Passive Participle

Derived from root 'kṛ' (to do, to make) with suffix 'ṇyat'

Root: kṛ (class 8)

किम् (kim) - expressing 'what concern/purpose' (what, what for)

(indeclinable)

कनिष्ठे (kaniṣṭhe) - youngest

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of kaniṣṭha

kaniṣṭha - youngest, smallest

Superlative form of 'yuvan' (young)

Note: Qualifies tapasvini.

तपस्विनि (tapasvini) - ascetic, one who practices tapas (tapas)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of tapasvin

tapasvin - an ascetic, one who practices austerity (tapas)

Derived from 'tapas' with suffix 'vin'