महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-48, verse-1

शौनक उवाच ।
सर्पसत्रे तदा राज्ञः पाण्डवेयस्य धीमतः ।
जनमेजयस्य के त्वासन्नृत्विजः परमर्षयः ॥१॥

1. śaunaka uvāca ,
sarpasatre tadā rājñaḥ pāṇḍaveyasya dhīmataḥ ,
janamejayasya ke tvāsannṛtvijaḥ paramarṣayaḥ.

1. śaunaka uvāca sarpasatre tadā rājñaḥ pāṇḍaveyasya
dhīmataḥ janamejayasya ke tu āsan ṛtvijaḥ paramarṣayaḥ

1. Śaunaka said: "Then, at the serpent sacrifice of the wise King Janamejaya, the son of Pāṇḍu, who, among the great sages, were the officiating priests?"

Words meanings summery:

• शौनक (śaunaka) - Śaunaka (the speaker) (Śaunaka (name of a sage))

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said (he said, spoke)

• सर्पसत्रे (sarpasatre) - in the great serpent-sacrificial ceremony (in the serpent sacrifice)

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that particular time (then, at that time)

• राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - of the king (Janamejaya) (of the king)

• पाण्डवेयस्य (pāṇḍaveyasya) - of Pāṇḍu's son (Janamejaya) (of the son of Pāṇḍu)

• धीमतः (dhīmataḥ) - of the wise/intelligent (Janamejaya) (of the intelligent, of the wise)

• जनमेजयस्य (janamejayasya) - of Janamejaya (proper name) (of Janamejaya)

• के (ke) - who? (who? which?)

• तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (but, on the other hand, indeed)

• आसन् (āsan) - they were (the priests) (they were)

• ऋत्विजः (ṛtvijaḥ) - the officiating priests (priests, sacrificers)

• परमर्षयः (paramarṣayaḥ) - the great sages (who served as priests) (great sages, supreme rishis)

Words meanings and morphology

शौनक (śaunaka) - Śaunaka (the speaker) (Śaunaka (name of a sage))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śaunaka

śaunaka - descendant of Śunaka, a sage, a family name

Proper noun.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said (he said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect tense (lit)

3rd person singular perfect active. Root undergoes reduplication uva-.

Root: √vac (class 2)

सर्पसत्रे (sarpasatre) - in the great serpent-sacrificial ceremony (in the serpent sacrifice)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of sarpasatra

sarpasatra - a serpent-sacrifice, a particular sacrifice to appease serpents

Compound sarpa (serpent) + satra (sacrifice).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sarpa+satra)

• sarpa – serpent, snake
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun
  From √sṛp (to creep, glide).
  Root: √sṛp (class 1)
• satra – sacrifice, sacrificial session, assembly
  noun (neuter)
  action noun
  From √san (to gain) or √sad (to sit).
  Root: √san (class 8)

Note: The context for the previous verses.

तदा (tadā) - then, at that particular time (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)

From tad (that) + dā (time suffix).

राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - of the king (Janamejaya) (of the king)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, prince

n-stem masculine noun.

Root: √rāj (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Janamejaya.

पाण्डवेयस्य (pāṇḍaveyasya) - of Pāṇḍu's son (Janamejaya) (of the son of Pāṇḍu)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pāṇḍaveya

pāṇḍaveya - son of Pāṇḍu, descendant of Pāṇḍu

patronymic

From pāṇḍu + eya suffix.

Note: Refers to Janamejaya, who is a descendant of Pāṇḍu's line.

धीमतः (dhīmataḥ) - of the wise/intelligent (Janamejaya) (of the intelligent, of the wise)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of dhīmat

dhīmat - intelligent, wise, thoughtful, sagacious

possesses dhī (intellect)

From dhī (intellect) + mat suffix.

Note: Qualifies Janamejaya.

जनमेजयस्य (janamejayasya) - of Janamejaya (proper name) (of Janamejaya)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (a king, son of Parikṣit, grandson of Abhimanyu)

Proper noun. a-stem.

Note: The king performing the sacrifice.

के (ke) - who? (who? which?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kim

kim - what, who, which, why

Interrogative pronoun.

Note: Asks about the identity of the priests.

तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (but, on the other hand, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Particle.

आसन् (āsan) - they were (the priests) (they were)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of as

imperfect tense (laṅ)

3rd person plural imperfect active.

Root: √as (class 2)

ऋत्विजः (ṛtvijaḥ) - the officiating priests (priests, sacrificers)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ṛtvij

ṛtvij - priest, sacrificer, one who officiates at a sacrifice

agent noun

From ṛtu (season, proper time) + √yaj (to sacrifice) -> ṛtuyaj -> ṛtvij.

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (ṛtu+yaj)

• ṛtu – season, fixed time, proper time for sacrifice
  noun (masculine/neuter)
  u-stem masculine/neuter noun.
• yaj – sacrificing, worshipping
  verb_base
  root
  √yaj
  Root: √yaj (class 1)

Note: Subject of āsan.

परमर्षयः (paramarṣayaḥ) - the great sages (who served as priests) (great sages, supreme rishis)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of paramarṣi

paramarṣi - a great sage, a supreme rishi

Compound parama (supreme) + ṛṣi (sage).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (parama+ṛṣi)

• parama – supreme, highest, excellent, principal
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  superlative
  Superlative of para (other, distant).
• ṛṣi – sage, seer, inspired poet
  noun (masculine)
  i-stem masculine noun.
  Root: √ṛṣ (class 1)

Note: Refers to the priests.