महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-53, verse-4

शौनक उवाच ।
किं सूत तेषां विप्राणां मन्त्रग्रामो मनीषिणाम् ।
न प्रत्यभात्तदाग्नौ यन्न पपात स तक्षकः ॥४॥

4. śaunaka uvāca ,
kiṁ sūta teṣāṁ viprāṇāṁ mantragrāmo manīṣiṇām ,
na pratyabhāttadāgnau yanna papāta sa takṣakaḥ.

4. śaunakaḥ uvāca kim sūta teṣām viprāṇām mantra-grāmaḥ
manīṣiṇām na pratyabhāt tadā agnau yat na papāta saḥ takṣakaḥ

4. Śaunaka said: "O Sūta, what happened to the collection of mantras of those wise Brahmins that its power did not manifest then in the fire, and Takṣaka did not fall?"

Words meanings summery:

• शौनकः (śaunakaḥ) - Śaunaka (Śaunaka (proper noun))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• किम् (kim) - what (querying the reason or nature of something) (what, why, whether)

• सूत (sūta) - O Sūta

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - of those (of them, of those)

• विप्राणाम् (viprāṇām) - of the brahmins (performing the sacrifice) (of the brahmins, of the inspired ones)

• मन्त्र-ग्रामः (mantra-grāmaḥ) - the collective power of mantras (collection of mantras, body of spells)

• मनीषिणाम् (manīṣiṇām) - of the wise (brahmins) (of the wise, of the intelligent)

• न (na) - not

• प्रत्यभात् (pratyabhāt) - did not manifest its power, did not succeed (shone forth, appeared, became evident, succeeded)

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

• अग्नौ (agnau) - in the fire

• यत् (yat) - that (conjunction, introducing a clause of reason or consequence) (that, which (relative pronoun); because)

• न (na) - not

• पपात (papāta) - fell

• सः (saḥ) - he (Takṣaka) (he, that)

• तक्षकः (takṣakaḥ) - Takṣaka (the serpent king) (Takṣaka (proper noun), a carpenter)

Words meanings and morphology

शौनकः (śaunakaḥ) - Śaunaka (Śaunaka (proper noun))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śaunaka

śaunaka - Śaunaka (name of a sage)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what (querying the reason or nature of something) (what, why, whether)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who; why, how (interrogative pronoun/adverb)

Note: Often used as an interrogative particle, 'what happened to X?'

सूत (sūta) - O Sūta

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of sūta

sūta - charioteer, bard; a mixed caste; Sūta (proper noun)

Note: Refers to Ugraśravas

तेषाम् (teṣām) - of those (of them, of those)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, he, she, it

Note: Agrees with `viprāṇām` and `manīṣiṇām`

विप्राणाम् (viprāṇām) - of the brahmins (performing the sacrifice) (of the brahmins, of the inspired ones)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of vipra

vipra - brahmin, inspired, wise

Note: Agrees with `teṣām` and `manīṣiṇām`

मन्त्र-ग्रामः (mantra-grāmaḥ) - the collective power of mantras (collection of mantras, body of spells)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mantra-grāma

mantra-grāma - collection of mantras, body of spells

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (mantra+grāma)

• mantra – sacred text, spell, incantation, counsel
  noun (masculine/neuter)
  Root: man (class 4)
• grāma – village, community, collection, multitude
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of `pratyabhāt`

मनीषिणाम् (manīṣiṇām) - of the wise (brahmins) (of the wise, of the intelligent)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of manīṣin

manīṣin - wise, intelligent, sagacious, thoughtful

Note: Qualifies `viprāṇām`

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates `pratyabhāt` and `papāta`

प्रत्यभात् (pratyabhāt) - did not manifest its power, did not succeed (shone forth, appeared, became evident, succeeded)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of pratibhā

Prefix: prati

Root: bhā (class 2)

Note: Subject is `mantra-grāmaḥ`

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

(indeclinable)

अग्नौ (agnau) - in the fire

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, god of fire

Note: Refers to the sacrificial fire.

यत् (yat) - that (conjunction, introducing a clause of reason or consequence) (that, which (relative pronoun); because)

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces the consequence or reason for the previous statement.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates the verb `papāta`

पपात (papāta) - fell

(verb)

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

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Subject is `takṣakaḥ`

सः (saḥ) - he (Takṣaka) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Takṣaka

तक्षकः (takṣakaḥ) - Takṣaka (the serpent king) (Takṣaka (proper noun), a carpenter)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of takṣaka

takṣaka - Takṣaka (name of a nāga king); carpenter, artisan

Note: Subject of `papāta`