महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-9, verse-12

सूत उवाच ।
ततो गन्धर्वराजश्च देवदूतश्च सत्तमौ ।
धर्मराजमुपेत्येदं वचनं प्रत्यभाषताम् ॥१२॥

12. sūta uvāca ,
tato gandharvarājaśca devadūtaśca sattamau ,
dharmarājamupetyedaṁ vacanaṁ pratyabhāṣatām.

12. sūtaḥ uvāca tataḥ gandharvarājaḥ ca devadūtaḥ ca
sattamau dharmarājam upetya idam vacanam pratyabhāṣatām

12. Sūta said: Then, the king of the Gandharvas and Devadūta, both excellent beings, approached Dharmarāja and addressed him with these words.

Words meanings summery:

• सूतः (sūtaḥ) - Sūta (the narrator of the Mahābhārata) (charioteer, bard, Sūta (proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• ततः (tataḥ) - then (then, from there, therefore)

• गन्धर्वराजः (gandharvarājaḥ) - the king of the Gandharvas (king of Gandharvas)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• देवदूतः (devadūtaḥ) - Devadūta (proper name, a particular Gandharva) (messenger of the gods, Devadūta (proper name))

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• सत्तमौ (sattamau) - the two excellent beings (the two best, excellent ones)

• धर्मराजम् (dharmarājam) - Dharmarāja (Yama, the god of death and justice) (king of Dharma, Yama, Dharmarāja (proper name))

• उपेत्य (upetya) - having approached

• इदम् (idam) - these (this)

• वचनम् (vacanam) - words (word, speech, saying)

• प्रत्यभाषताम् (pratyabhāṣatām) - they (two) addressed him (they (two) spoke in return, replied)

Words meanings and morphology

सूतः (sūtaḥ) - Sūta (the narrator of the Mahābhārata) (charioteer, bard, Sūta (proper name))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sūta

sūta - charioteer, bard, a class of mixed caste, Sūta (proper name)

from root sū 'to impel, to give birth' or sūc 'to indicate'

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

ततः (tataḥ) - then (then, from there, therefore)

(indeclinable)

ablative from tad

गन्धर्वराजः (gandharvarājaḥ) - the king of the Gandharvas (king of Gandharvas)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of gandharvarāja

gandharvarāja - king of Gandharvas

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (gandharva+rājan)

• gandharva – celestial musician, Gandharva (a class of demigods)
  noun (masculine)
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

देवदूतः (devadūtaḥ) - Devadūta (proper name, a particular Gandharva) (messenger of the gods, Devadūta (proper name))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of devadūta

devadūta - messenger of the gods, Devadūta (proper name)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (deva+dūta)

• deva – god, deity
  noun (masculine)
• dūta – messenger, envoy
  noun (masculine)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

सत्तमौ (sattamau) - the two excellent beings (the two best, excellent ones)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of sattama

sattama - best, excellent, most eminent

superlative of sat (good)

Note: Refers to both Gandharvarāja and Devadūta

धर्मराजम् (dharmarājam) - Dharmarāja (Yama, the god of death and justice) (king of Dharma, Yama, Dharmarāja (proper name))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharmarāja

dharmarāja - king of Dharma, Yama (god of justice and death)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+rājan)

• dharma – duty, righteousness, law, virtue
  noun (masculine)
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)

उपेत्य (upetya) - having approached

(indeclinable)

Prefix: upa

Root: i (class 2)

इदम् (idam) - these (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Refers to 'vacanam'

वचनम् (vacanam) - words (word, speech, saying)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vacana

vacana - word, speech, saying, declaration

action noun

from root vac 'to speak'

Root: vac (class 2)

प्रत्यभाषताम् (pratyabhāṣatām) - they (two) addressed him (they (two) spoke in return, replied)

(verb)

3rd person , dual, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of prati-bhāṣ

Prefix: prati

Root: bhāṣ (class 1)

Note: Prefix prati implies 'in reply' or 'back'.