महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-141, verse-5

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
कथं कपोतेन पुरा शत्रुः शरणमागतः ।
स्वमांसैर्भोजितः कां च गतिं लेभे स भारत ॥५॥

5. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kathaṁ kapotena purā śatruḥ śaraṇamāgataḥ ,
svamāṁsairbhojitaḥ kāṁ ca gatiṁ lebhe sa bhārata.

5. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca katham kapotena purā śatruḥ śaraṇam
āgataḥ sva-māṃsaiḥ bhojitaḥ kām ca gatim lebhe saḥ bhārata

5. Yudhishthira said: O Bharata, how in the past was an enemy, having sought refuge, fed by a pigeon with its own flesh? And what fate did that pigeon attain?

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper noun)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

• कपोतेन (kapotena) - by a pigeon

• पुरा (purā) - in the past (formerly, in ancient times, before)

• शत्रुः (śatruḥ) - enemy, rival

• शरणम् (śaraṇam) - refuge, shelter, protection

• आगतः (āgataḥ) - having come (for shelter), who sought (shelter) (arrived, come, approached)

• स्व-मांसैः (sva-māṁsaiḥ) - with its own flesh (with one's own flesh)

• भोजितः (bhojitaḥ) - was fed (fed, caused to eat)

• काम् (kām) - what (what, which)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• गतिम् (gatim) - fate, destiny (movement, path, destination, state, fate)

• लेभे (lebhe) - he attained (he obtained, he gained)

• सः (saḥ) - that (pigeon) (he, that)

• भारत (bhārata) - O Bharata (addressing Bhishma) (O descendant of Bharata, O Bharata)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper noun)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle, Yudhishthira (eldest Pandava brother)

Compound yudhi (in battle, locative of yudh) + sthira (steady).

Compound type : aluk-tatpurusha (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of yudh (battle).
• sthira – firm, steady, constant
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

3rd singular, perfect tense, active voice. Irregular formation of root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

कपोतेन (kapotena) - by a pigeon

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kapota

kapota - pigeon, dove

पुरा (purā) - in the past (formerly, in ancient times, before)

(indeclinable)

Adverb of time.

शत्रुः (śatruḥ) - enemy, rival

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śatru

śatru - enemy, rival, adversary

Root: śat

शरणम् (śaraṇam) - refuge, shelter, protection

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śaraṇa

śaraṇa - refuge, shelter, protection, asylum

Root: śṛ (class 1)

Note: Functions adverbially here, like 'to refuge'.

आगतः (āgataḥ) - having come (for shelter), who sought (shelter) (arrived, come, approached)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of āgata

āgata - arrived, come, obtained, approached

Past Passive Participle

Derived from ā-gam (to come, approach).

Prefix: ā

Root: gam (class 1)

स्व-मांसैः (sva-māṁsaiḥ) - with its own flesh (with one's own flesh)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of sva-māṃsa

sva-māṁsa - one's own flesh

Compound type : tatpurusha (sva+māṃsa)

• sva – own, one's own
  adjective
• māṃsa – flesh, meat
  noun (neuter)

भोजितः (bhojitaḥ) - was fed (fed, caused to eat)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhojita

bhojita - fed, caused to eat, entertained

Past Passive Participle (causative)

Derived from causative of root bhuj (to eat, enjoy).

Root: bhuj (class 7)

काम् (kām) - what (what, which)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who, why

Interrogative pronoun.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

गतिम् (gatim) - fate, destiny (movement, path, destination, state, fate)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of gati

gati - going, movement, path, course, destiny, state, refuge

From root gam (to go) + suffix ti.

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Object of lebhe.

लेभे (lebhe) - he attained (he obtained, he gained)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, perfect (lit) of labh

Perfect Middle

3rd singular, perfect tense, middle voice (ātmanepada).

Root: labh (class 1)

Note: Refers to the pigeon (saḥ).

सः (saḥ) - that (pigeon) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

भारत (bhārata) - O Bharata (addressing Bhishma) (O descendant of Bharata, O Bharata)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhārata

bhārata - descendant of Bharata, relating to Bharata, India

Vocative singular of bhārata.

Root: bhṛ (class 1)