महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-3, verse-167

तत्र च मया दृष्टे स्त्रियौ तन्त्रेऽधिरोप्य पटं वयन्त्यौ ।
तस्मिंश्च तन्त्रे कृष्णाः सिताश्च तन्तवः ।
किं तत् ॥१६७॥

167. tatra ca mayā dṛṣṭe striyau tantre'dhiropya paṭaṁ vayantyau ,
tasmiṁśca tantre kṛṣṇāḥ sitāśca tantavaḥ ,
kiṁ tat.

167. tatra ca mayā dṛṣṭe striyau tantre adhiropya paṭam
vayantyau tasmin ca tantre kṛṣṇāḥ sitāḥ ca tantavaḥ kim tat

167. And there, I saw two women weaving a cloth, having placed it on a loom. On that loom were black and white threads. What does that signify?

Words meanings summery:

• तत्र (tatra) - there (there, in that place)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• मया (mayā) - by me

• दृष्टे (dṛṣṭe) - were seen (dual feminine, referring to the two women) (seen, beheld (dual feminine))

• स्त्रियौ (striyau) - two women

• तन्त्रे (tantre) - on a loom (on a loom (singular locative) or two looms (dual nom/acc))

• अधिरोप्य (adhiropya) - having placed (the cloth) on (the loom) (having placed upon, having mounted)

• पटम् (paṭam) - cloth (cloth, garment)

• वयन्त्यौ (vayantyau) - weaving (weaving (dual feminine))

• तस्मिन् (tasmin) - on that (loom) (on that (masc/neut locative))

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• तन्त्रे (tantre) - on that loom (on a loom)

• कृष्णाः (kṛṣṇāḥ) - black

• सिताः (sitāḥ) - white (white, pale)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• तन्तवः (tantavaḥ) - threads

• किम् (kim) - what

• तत् (tat) - that

Words meanings and morphology

तत्र (tatra) - there (there, in that place)

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I

दृष्टे (dṛṣṭe) - were seen (dual feminine, referring to the two women) (seen, beheld (dual feminine))

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, dual of dṛṣṭa

dṛṣṭa - seen, perceived, observed

past participle

Past passive participle of root dṛś

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Part of a passive construction 'by me were seen two women'

स्त्रियौ (striyau) - two women

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, dual of strī

strī - woman, female

तन्त्रे (tantre) - on a loom (on a loom (singular locative) or two looms (dual nom/acc))

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tantra

tantra - loom, warp, system, doctrine, main point

Note: The following sentence confirms singular locative.

अधिरोप्य (adhiropya) - having placed (the cloth) on (the loom) (having placed upon, having mounted)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (causative)

Absolutive (gerund) of the causative of root ruh with prefix adhi

Prefix: adhi

Root: ruh (class 1)

Note: Indicates an action completed before the main verb.

पटम् (paṭam) - cloth (cloth, garment)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of paṭa

paṭa - cloth, garment, canvas

वयन्त्यौ (vayantyau) - weaving (weaving (dual feminine))

(participle)

Nominative, feminine, dual of ve

ve - to weave

present participle

Present active participle of root ve (or vāy), feminine dual nominative

Root: ve (class 2)

तस्मिन् (tasmin) - on that (loom) (on that (masc/neut locative))

(pronoun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to tantra (neuter)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

तन्त्रे (tantre) - on that loom (on a loom)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tantra

tantra - loom, warp, system, doctrine, main point

कृष्णाः (kṛṣṇāḥ) - black

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kṛṣṇa

kṛṣṇa - black, dark, dark-blue; Krishna (name)

सिताः (sitāḥ) - white (white, pale)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sita

sita - white, pale; bound, tied

Root: śi (class 7)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

तन्तवः (tantavaḥ) - threads

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tantu

tantu - thread, string, fibre

किम् (kim) - what

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which, why, whether

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it