महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-139, verse-69

विश्वामित्र उवाच ।
शिष्टा वै कारणं धर्मे तद्वृत्तमनुवर्तये ।
परां मेध्याशनादेतां भक्ष्यां मन्ये श्वजाघनीम् ॥६९॥

69. viśvāmitra uvāca ,
śiṣṭā vai kāraṇaṁ dharme tadvṛttamanuvartaye ,
parāṁ medhyāśanādetāṁ bhakṣyāṁ manye śvajāghanīm.

69. viśvāmitraḥ uvāca | śiṣṭāḥ vai
kāraṇam dharme | tat-vṛttam
anuvartaye | parām medhya-aśanāt
etām bhakṣyām manye śva-jāghanīm

69. viśvāmitraḥ uvāca śiṣṭāḥ vai dharme kāraṇam tat-vṛttam
anuvartaye parām etām śva-jāghanīm medhya-aśanāt bhakṣyām manye

69. Viśvāmitra said: "The virtuous (śiṣṭā) are indeed the authority (kāraṇam) in matters of natural law (dharma); I shall follow their conduct. I consider this dog's thigh, as a consumable item, to be even superior (parām) to ritually pure food."

Words meanings summery:

• विश्वामित्रः (viśvāmitraḥ) - Viśvāmitra

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• शिष्टाः (śiṣṭāḥ) - the learned, the virtuous, the disciplined

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - reason, cause, authority

• धर्मे (dharme) - in natural law (dharma), in righteousness

• तत्-वृत्तम् (tat-vṛttam) - their conduct, that conduct

• अनुवर्तये (anuvartaye) - I follow, I imitate

• पराम् (parām) - superior, supreme, chief, highest

• मेध्य-अशनात् (medhya-aśanāt) - from ritually pure food

• एताम् (etām) - this (feminine)

• भक्ष्याम् (bhakṣyām) - food, to be eaten

• मन्ये (manye) - I think, I consider, I believe

• श्व-जाघनीम् (śva-jāghanīm) - dog's thigh

Words meanings and morphology

विश्वामित्रः (viśvāmitraḥ) - Viśvāmitra

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of viśvāmitra

viśvāmitra - Viśvāmitra (name of a famous sage)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of uvāca

perfect (liṭ)

root vac, perfect 3rd singular active

Root: vac (class 2)

शिष्टाः (śiṣṭāḥ) - the learned, the virtuous, the disciplined

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śiṣṭa

śiṣṭa - taught, educated, learned, virtuous, disciplined (often refers to those who adhere to Vedic traditions)

Past Passive Participle

derived from root śiṣ (to teach, to discipline)

Root: śiṣ (class 7)

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly

(indeclinable)

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - reason, cause, authority

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument, motive, authority

धर्मे (dharme) - in natural law (dharma), in righteousness

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution, religious or moral merit

तत्-वृत्तम् (tat-vṛttam) - their conduct, that conduct

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tat-vṛtta

tat-vṛtta - their/that conduct

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tad+vṛtta)

• tad – that, their
  pronoun (neuter)
• vṛtta – conduct, behavior, course of action
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle (used as noun)
  derived from root vṛt (to be, to exist, to proceed)
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

अनुवर्तये (anuvartaye) - I follow, I imitate

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of anuvṛt

present (laṭ)

root vṛt, with prefix anu-, present 1st singular ātmanepada

Prefix: anu

Root: vṛt (class 1)

पराम् (parām) - superior, supreme, chief, highest

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of parā

para - other, distant, supreme, chief, highest

मेध्य-अशनात् (medhya-aśanāt) - from ritually pure food

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of medhya-aśana

medhya-aśana - pure food, clean food

Compound type : karmadhāraya (medhya+aśana)

• medhya – pure, clean, ritually pure, fit for sacrifice
  adjective (neuter)
• aśana – eating, food
  noun (neuter)
  Root: aś (class 5)

एताम् (etām) - this (feminine)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this

भक्ष्याम् (bhakṣyām) - food, to be eaten

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of bhakṣyā

bhakṣya - to be eaten, eatable, food

Gerundive

derived from root bhakṣ (to eat)

Root: bhakṣ (class 10)

मन्ये (manye) - I think, I consider, I believe

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of man

present (laṭ)

root man, present 1st singular ātmanepada

Root: man (class 4)

श्व-जाघनीम् (śva-jāghanīm) - dog's thigh

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śva-jāghanī

śva-jāghanī - dog's thigh/ham

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śvan+jāghanī)

• śvan – dog
  noun (masculine)
• jāghanī – thigh, ham, haunch
  noun (feminine)