महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-69, verse-10

प्राज्ञस्तु जल्पतां पुंसां श्रुत्वा वाचः शुभाशुभाः ।
गुणवद्वाक्यमादत्ते हंसः क्षीरमिवाम्भसः ॥१०॥

10. prājñastu jalpatāṁ puṁsāṁ śrutvā vācaḥ śubhāśubhāḥ ,
guṇavadvākyamādatte haṁsaḥ kṣīramivāmbhasaḥ.

10. prājñaḥ tu jalpatām puṃsām śrutvā vācaḥ śubhāśubhāḥ
guṇavat vākyam ādatte haṃsaḥ kṣīram iva ambhasaḥ

10. But a wise person, upon hearing the good and bad words of people speaking, takes only the virtuous statement, just as a swan separates and takes milk from water.

Words meanings summery:

• प्राज्ञः (prājñaḥ) - a wise person, intelligent

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

• जल्पताम् (jalpatām) - of those who are speaking (of speaking, of talking)

• पुंसाम् (puṁsām) - of people (of men, of persons)

• श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - upon hearing (having heard, after hearing)

• वाचः (vācaḥ) - words (both good and bad) (words, speeches)

• शुभाशुभाः (śubhāśubhāḥ) - both good and bad (referring to words) (good and bad, auspicious and inauspicious)

• गुणवत् (guṇavat) - virtuous, good (statement) (possessing qualities, excellent, good, virtuous)

• वाक्यम् (vākyam) - statement (word, speech, statement)

• आदत्ते (ādatte) - takes (the virtuous statement) (he takes, he accepts, he receives)

• हंसः (haṁsaḥ) - a swan, a goose, a flamingo

• क्षीरम् (kṣīram) - milk (that the swan separates) (milk, water)

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

• अम्भसः (ambhasaḥ) - from the mixed water (referring to milk mixed with water) (from water)

Words meanings and morphology

प्राज्ञः (prājñaḥ) - a wise person, intelligent

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prājña

prājña - wise, intelligent, learned; a wise man

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

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

(indeclinable)

जल्पताम् (jalpatām) - of those who are speaking (of speaking, of talking)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of jalpat

jalpat - speaking, talking (present active participle)

present active participle

Derived from root √jalp (class 1, jalpati, to speak, talk).

Root: jalp (class 1)

Note: Modifies puṃsām.

पुंसाम् (puṁsām) - of people (of men, of persons)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of puṃs

puṁs - man, person, male

श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - upon hearing (having heard, after hearing)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root √śru (class 5, śṛṇoti, to hear).

Root: śru (class 5)

वाचः (vācaḥ) - words (both good and bad) (words, speeches)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of vāc

vāc - speech, word, voice, language

Note: Direct object of śrutvā.

शुभाशुभाः (śubhāśubhāḥ) - both good and bad (referring to words) (good and bad, auspicious and inauspicious)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, plural of śubhāśubha

śubhāśubha - good and bad, auspicious and inauspicious

Compound type : dvandva (śubha+aśubha)

• śubha – good, auspicious, beautiful
  adjective
• aśubha – bad, inauspicious, evil
  adjective
  Prefix: a

Note: Agrees with vācaḥ.

गुणवत् (guṇavat) - virtuous, good (statement) (possessing qualities, excellent, good, virtuous)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of guṇavat

guṇavat - possessing qualities, having merit, excellent, virtuous, good

Derived from guṇa (quality) + vat (possessive suffix).

Note: Agrees with vākyam.

वाक्यम् (vākyam) - statement (word, speech, statement)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vākya

vākya - speech, word, sentence, statement

Root: vac

Note: Direct object of ādatte.

आदत्ते (ādatte) - takes (the virtuous statement) (he takes, he accepts, he receives)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of ādā

present tense, middle voice

Derived from ā (prefix) + √dā (class 3, dadāti, to give; here with ā becomes to take).

Prefix: ā

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Verb for prājñaḥ.

हंसः (haṁsaḥ) - a swan, a goose, a flamingo

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of haṃsa

haṁsa - a swan, a goose, a flamingo; soul, spirit

Note: Subject in the simile.

क्षीरम् (kṣīram) - milk (that the swan separates) (milk, water)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kṣīra

kṣīra - milk, water, sap, juice

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

अम्भसः (ambhasaḥ) - from the mixed water (referring to milk mixed with water) (from water)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of ambhas

ambhas - water

Note: Indicates source or separation.