महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-5, verse-18

शंस मे कस्य भार्येयमग्ने पृष्ट ऋतेन वै ।
सत्यस्त्वमसि सत्यं मे वद पावक पृच्छते ॥१८॥

18. śaṁsa me kasya bhāryeyamagne pṛṣṭa ṛtena vai ,
satyastvamasi satyaṁ me vada pāvaka pṛcchate.

18. śaṃsa me kasya bhāryā iyam agne pṛṣṭaḥ ṛtena vai
satyaḥ tvam asi satyam me vada pāvaka pṛcchate

18. O Agni, tell me, whose wife is this? When questioned by truth, you are indeed truthful. O Pāvaka, tell me the truth when I ask.

Words meanings summery:

• शंस (śaṁsa) - tell (tell, declare, praise)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

• कस्य (kasya) - whose (whose, of whom, of what)

• भार्या (bhāryā) - wife

• इयम् (iyam) - this (this (feminine))

• अग्ने (agne) - O Agni (O Agni (fire god))

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - when questioned (by truth) (questioned, asked)

• ऋतेन (ṛtena) - by truth (by truth, by cosmic order)

• वै (vai) - indeed (indeed, surely, verily)

• सत्यः (satyaḥ) - truthful (truthful, true, real)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (you (singular))

• असि (asi) - you are

• सत्यम् (satyam) - the truth (truth, reality)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

• वद (vada) - tell (speak, tell)

• पावक (pāvaka) - O Pāvaka (vocative address to Agni) (O purifier, O fire)

• पृच्छते (pṛcchate) - when I ask (to the one asking) (to the one who asks, when asked by me)

Words meanings and morphology

शंस (śaṁsa) - tell (tell, declare, praise)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of śaṃs

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form of dative singular 'mahyam'.

कस्य (kasya) - whose (whose, of whom, of what)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

भार्या (bhāryā) - wife

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhāryā

bhāryā - wife, a woman to be maintained

passive participle

from root 'bhṛ' (to bear, support) + -ya (secondary suffix), often used as a noun

Root: bhṛ (class 3)

इयम् (iyam) - this (this (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

अग्ने (agne) - O Agni (O Agni (fire god))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, god of fire

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - when questioned (by truth) (questioned, asked)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pṛṣṭa

pṛṣṭa - asked, questioned, inquired

past passive participle

from root 'prach' (to ask) + suffix '-ta'

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Agrees with Agni (implied).

ऋतेन (ṛtena) - by truth (by truth, by cosmic order)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of ṛta

ṛta - truth, cosmic order, divine law, right, justice

from root 'ṛ' (to move, to fit)

Root: ṛ (class 1)

वै (vai) - indeed (indeed, surely, verily)

(indeclinable)

सत्यः (satyaḥ) - truthful (truthful, true, real)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of satya

satya - true, real, truthful, existing, truth, reality

from 'sat' (being, true) + 'ya' suffix

Note: Agrees with tvam.

त्वम् (tvam) - you (you (singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

असि (asi) - you are

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

सत्यम् (satyam) - the truth (truth, reality)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - true, real, truthful, existing, truth, reality

from 'sat' (being, true) + 'ya' suffix

Note: Object of vada.

मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form of dative singular 'mahyam'.

वद (vada) - tell (speak, tell)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of vad

Root: vad (class 1)

पावक (pāvaka) - O Pāvaka (vocative address to Agni) (O purifier, O fire)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pāvaka

pāvaka - purifier, fire, Agni, pure, clean

agent noun

from root 'pū' (to purify) + suffix '-aka'

Root: pū (class 1)

Note: Another name for Agni.

पृच्छते (pṛcchate) - when I ask (to the one asking) (to the one who asks, when asked by me)

(participle)

Dative, masculine, singular of pṛcchat

prach - to ask, question, inquire

present participle

root 'prach' + present participle suffix '-at'

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Refers to the speaker (the Rākṣasa). Dative of agent or purpose.