महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-121, verse-6

किमात्मकः कथंभूतः कतिमूर्तिः कथंप्रभुः ।
जागर्ति स कथं दण्डः प्रजास्ववहितात्मकः ॥६॥

6. kimātmakaḥ kathaṁbhūtaḥ katimūrtiḥ kathaṁprabhuḥ ,
jāgarti sa kathaṁ daṇḍaḥ prajāsvavahitātmakaḥ.

6. kimātmakaḥ kathaṃbhūtaḥ katimūrtiḥ kathaṃprabhuḥ
jāgarti saḥ kathaṃ daṇḍaḥ prajāsvavahitātmakaḥ

6. saḥ daṇḍaḥ kimātmakaḥ kathaṃbhūtaḥ katimūrtiḥ
kathaṃprabhuḥ prajāsvavahitātmakaḥ kathaṃ jāgarti

6. What is its essential nature (ātman)? How is it constituted? How many forms does it embody? What kind of authority does it wield? How does that governance (daṇḍa), with its attentive intrinsic nature (ātman), remain vigilant among the subjects?

Words meanings summery:

• किमात्मकः (kimātmakaḥ) - of what nature, having what self

• कथंभूतः (kathaṁbhūtaḥ) - how constituted, of what kind, of what nature

• कतिमूर्तिः (katimūrtiḥ) - having how many forms

• कथंप्रभुः (kathaṁprabhuḥ) - having what kind of lord/authority, how powerful

• जागर्ति (jāgarti) - remains vigilant, stays awake, is active

• सः (saḥ) - that (governance) (he, that)

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what manner

• दण्डः (daṇḍaḥ) - governance, political authority (punishment, rod, mace, scepter, governance, authority, rule)

• प्रजास्ववहितात्मकः (prajāsvavahitātmakaḥ) - having an intrinsic nature that is attentive towards the subjects (having an attentive intrinsic nature towards the subjects, watchful over the people)

Words meanings and morphology

किमात्मकः (kimātmakaḥ) - of what nature, having what self

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kimātmaka

kimātmaka - of what nature, having what self/constitution

Compound formed with 'kim' (what) and 'ātman' (self/nature), with -ka suffix for adjectival formation.

Compound type : bahuvrihi (kim+ātman)

• kim – what, which, who
  pronoun (neuter)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature, constitution
  noun (masculine)

कथंभूतः (kathaṁbhūtaḥ) - how constituted, of what kind, of what nature

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kathaṃbhūta

kathaṁbhūta - how constituted, of what kind

Past Passive Participle

Compound of 'katham' (how) and 'bhūta' (been, become, constituted).

Compound type : tatpurusha (katham+bhūta)

• katham – how, in what manner, why
  indeclinable
• bhūta – been, become, existed, constituted
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'bhū' (to be, become).
  Root: bhū (class 1)

कतिमूर्तिः (katimūrtiḥ) - having how many forms

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of katimūrti

katimūrti - having how many forms

Compound of 'kati' (how many) and 'mūrti' (form, embodiment).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (kati+mūrti)

• kati – how many
  pronoun
• mūrti – form, body, figure, embodiment
  noun (feminine)

Note: The compound takes on the gender of the noun it modifies (daṇḍaḥ).

कथंप्रभुः (kathaṁprabhuḥ) - having what kind of lord/authority, how powerful

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kathaṃprabhu

kathaṁprabhu - having what kind of lord/authority, how powerful

Compound of 'katham' (how, what kind) and 'prabhu' (lord, master, powerful).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (katham+prabhu)

• katham – how, in what manner, why, of what kind
  indeclinable
• prabhu – lord, master, sovereign, powerful, able
  noun (masculine)
  From pra-bhū.
  Prefix: pra
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: The compound takes on the gender of the noun it modifies (daṇḍaḥ).

जागर्ति (jāgarti) - remains vigilant, stays awake, is active

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of jāgṛ

Root in 3rd conjugation.

Root: jāgṛ (class 2)

सः (saḥ) - that (governance) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to 'daṇḍaḥ'.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

दण्डः (daṇḍaḥ) - governance, political authority (punishment, rod, mace, scepter, governance, authority, rule)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of daṇḍa

daṇḍa - rod, staff, mace, punishment, penalty, governance, rule, authority

From root 'daṇḍ' (to punish).

Root: daṇḍ (class 10)

Note: The main subject of the verse.

प्रजास्ववहितात्मकः (prajāsvavahitātmakaḥ) - having an intrinsic nature that is attentive towards the subjects (having an attentive intrinsic nature towards the subjects, watchful over the people)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prajāsvavahitātmaka

prajāsvavahitātmaka - having an attentive self/nature towards the subjects, watchful over the people

Complex Bahuvrihi compound, combining 'prajā' (people, subjects, used in a locative sense) and 'avahitātman' (one whose self/nature is attentive). The 'ka' suffix makes it adjectival.

Compound type : bahuvrihi (prajā+avahitātman)

• prajā – progeny, subjects, people, creature
  noun (feminine)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: jan (class 4)
• avahitātman – attentive, careful, having an attentive self/nature
  adjective (masculine)
  Bahuvrihi compound of 'avahita' (attentive) and 'ātman' (self/nature).

Note: This entire compound acts as an adjective for 'daṇḍaḥ'.