महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-85, verse-9

अष्टक उवाच ।
यदेनसस्ते पततस्तुदन्ति भीमा भौमा राक्षसास्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः ।
कथं भवन्ति कथमाभवन्ति कथंभूता गर्भभूता भवन्ति ॥९॥

9. aṣṭaka uvāca ,
yadenasaste patatastudanti; bhīmā bhaumā rākṣasāstīkṣṇadaṁṣṭrāḥ ,
kathaṁ bhavanti kathamābhavanti; kathaṁbhūtā garbhabhūtā bhavanti.

9. aṣṭakaḥ uvāca yat enasaḥ te patataḥ
tudanti bhīmāḥ bhaumāḥ rākṣasāḥ
tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrāḥ kathaṃ bhavanti kathaṃ ābhavanti
kathaṃbhūtāḥ garbhabhūtāḥ bhavanti

9. Ashtaka said: "From what sin (enas) do those terrible, earthly Rākṣasas with sharp fangs torment those who are falling? How do (these Rākṣasas) exist? How do they come into being? And what kind of beings are (the victims) when they are born from a womb?"

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टकः (aṣṭakaḥ) - Ashtaka (a king)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• यत् (yat) - what (in an interrogative sense, implying 'because of what') (which, what, because)

• एनसः (enasaḥ) - from their misdeeds (sin) (of sin, from sin, of fault, from fault)

• ते (te) - Refers to the Rākṣasas. (they)

• पततः (patataḥ) - those who are falling, falling

• तुदन्ति (tudanti) - they torment, they afflict

• भीमाः (bhīmāḥ) - terrible, dreadful, fierce

• भौमाः (bhaumāḥ) - earthly, terrestrial

• राक्षसाः (rākṣasāḥ) - demons, Rākṣasas

• तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः (tīkṣṇadaṁṣṭrāḥ) - sharp-fanged, having sharp teeth

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what way (how, in what manner, why)

• भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they come into existence, they exist (they become, they are)

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what way (how, in what manner, why)

• आभवन्ति (ābhavanti) - they come into being, they manifest (they appear, they arise, they originate, they become)

• कथंभूताः (kathaṁbhūtāḥ) - what kind of beings, how are they (the victims) (of what kind, of what nature, how constituted)

• गर्भभूताः (garbhabhūtāḥ) - born in a new body/womb after the torment (born from a womb, being in a womb)

• भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they exist, they are reborn (they become, they are)

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टकः (aṣṭakaḥ) - Ashtaka (a king)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭaka

aṣṭaka - name of a king

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense form

Root: vac (class 2)

यत् (yat) - what (in an interrogative sense, implying 'because of what') (which, what, because)

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that (relative pronoun); because, since (conjunction)

Note: Interrogative usage, 'why' or 'what'.

एनसः (enasaḥ) - from their misdeeds (sin) (of sin, from sin, of fault, from fault)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of enas

enas - sin, fault, crime, misdeed

Note: Indicates cause, 'from sin'.

ते (te) - Refers to the Rākṣasas. (they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Subject of `tudanti`, referring to the Rākṣasas.

पततः (patataḥ) - those who are falling, falling

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of patat

patat - falling, descending

present active participle

From √pat (to fall) with -at suffix.

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Present active participle, direct object of `tudanti`.

तुदन्ति (tudanti) - they torment, they afflict

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of tud

Root: tud (class 6)

भीमाः (bhīmāḥ) - terrible, dreadful, fierce

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhīma

bhīma - terrible, dreadful, formidable, fierce

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Agrees with `rākṣasāḥ`.

भौमाः (bhaumāḥ) - earthly, terrestrial

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhauma

bhauma - earthly, terrestrial, born from earth

Derived from bhūmi (earth).

Note: Agrees with `rākṣasāḥ`.

राक्षसाः (rākṣasāḥ) - demons, Rākṣasas

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of rākṣasa

rākṣasa - a demon, an evil spirit, Rākṣasa (a class of beings)

Note: Subject of `tudanti`.

तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः (tīkṣṇadaṁṣṭrāḥ) - sharp-fanged, having sharp teeth

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭra

tīkṣṇadaṁṣṭra - sharp-fanged, having sharp teeth

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tīkṣṇa+daṃṣṭra)

• tīkṣṇa – sharp, keen, piercing
  adjective (neuter)
• daṃṣṭra – tusk, fang, large tooth
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with `rākṣasāḥ`.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what way (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they come into existence, they exist (they become, they are)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Refers to the Rākṣasas.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what way (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

आभवन्ति (ābhavanti) - they come into being, they manifest (they appear, they arise, they originate, they become)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of ābhav

Prefix: ā

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Refers to the Rākṣasas.

कथंभूताः (kathaṁbhūtāḥ) - what kind of beings, how are they (the victims) (of what kind, of what nature, how constituted)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kathaṃbhūta

kathaṁbhūta - of what kind, of what nature, how constituted, in what state

Compound of katham (how) and bhūta (become, being).

Compound type : avyayībhāva / karmadhāraya (katham+bhūta)

• katham – how, in what manner
  indeclinable
• bhūta – become, being, existing, creature
  adjective (masculine)
  past passive participle
  From √bhū.
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Adjective for the implied subject of `bhavanti` (the victims).

गर्भभूताः (garbhabhūtāḥ) - born in a new body/womb after the torment (born from a womb, being in a womb)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of garbhabhūta

garbhabhūta - born in a womb, existing in a womb, having entered a womb

Compound of garbha (womb) and bhūta (become, being).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (garbha+bhūta)

• garbha – womb, embryo, interior
  noun (masculine)
• bhūta – become, being, existing, born
  adjective (masculine)
  past passive participle
  From √bhū.
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Adjective for the implied subject of `bhavanti` (the victims).

भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they exist, they are reborn (they become, they are)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Refers to the victims of hell.