महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-156, verse-2

सत्यं किंलक्षणं राजन्कथं वा तदवाप्यते ।
सत्यं प्राप्य भवेत्किं च कथं चैव तदुच्यते ॥२॥

2. satyaṁ kiṁlakṣaṇaṁ rājankathaṁ vā tadavāpyate ,
satyaṁ prāpya bhavetkiṁ ca kathaṁ caiva taducyate.

2. satyam kiṃlakṣaṇam rājan katham vā tat avāpyate
satyam prāpya bhavet kim ca katham ca eva tat ucyate

2. rājan,
satyam kiṃlakṣaṇam? vā katham tat avāpyate? ca kim bhavet satyam prāpya? ca eva katham tat ucyate?

2. O King, what are the characteristics of truth (satya)? How is it attained? And what results from attaining it? How, moreover, is it described?

Words meanings summery:

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (fundamental principle) (truth, reality, genuineness, sincerity)

• किंलक्षणम् (kiṁlakṣaṇam) - what are the characteristics (of truth) (what are the characteristics, of what nature)

• राजन् (rājan) - O King (addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (O King, King)

• कथम् (katham) - how (is it attained) (how, in what manner, why)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either, also, and)

• तत् (tat) - it (referring to truth) (that, it)

• अवाप्यते (avāpyate) - is attained (by one) (is attained, is reached, is obtained)

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (fundamental principle) (truth, reality, genuineness, sincerity)

• प्राप्य (prāpya) - having attained (truth) (having attained, having reached, after obtaining)

• भवेत् (bhavet) - what becomes of (one who attains truth) (may be, should be, would be, becomes)

• किम् (kim) - what (as a result) (what, which, who)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• कथम् (katham) - how (is it described) (how, in what manner, why)

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• एव (eva) - moreover, indeed (indeed, just, only, truly)

• तत् (tat) - it (referring to truth) (that, it)

• उच्यते (ucyate) - is described (how is it described) (is said, is called, is described)

Words meanings and morphology

सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (fundamental principle) (truth, reality, genuineness, sincerity)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, reality, genuineness, sincerity, a true thing

From 'sat' (being, existence) + 'ya' suffix. Lit. 'that which is'.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Also accusative singular neuter. Here seems nominative as subject.

किंलक्षणम् (kiṁlakṣaṇam) - what are the characteristics (of truth) (what are the characteristics, of what nature)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiṃlakṣaṇa

kiṁlakṣaṇa - of what nature, having what characteristics, what kind of

Compound type : bahuvrihi (kim+lakṣaṇa)

• kim – what, which, who
  interrogative pronoun
• lakṣaṇa – mark, sign, characteristic, attribute
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'satyam'.

राजन् (rājan) - O King (addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (O King, King)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, prince

Root: rāj (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how (is it attained) (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

वा (vā) - or (or, either, also, and)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

तत् (tat) - it (referring to truth) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, it

Note: Refers to 'satyam'.

अवाप्यते (avāpyate) - is attained (by one) (is attained, is reached, is obtained)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of avāp

From 'ava' (down, away) + 'āp' (to obtain)

Prefixes: ava+ā

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Atmanepada form used passively.

सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (fundamental principle) (truth, reality, genuineness, sincerity)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, reality, genuineness, sincerity, a true thing

From 'sat' (being, existence) + 'ya' suffix. Lit. 'that which is'.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Also accusative singular neuter. Here seems nominative as subject.

प्राप्य (prāpya) - having attained (truth) (having attained, having reached, after obtaining)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

From 'pra' (forth) + 'āp' (to obtain) + '-ya' suffix for absolutives with preverbs.

Prefixes: pra+ā

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Absolutive/gerund, indicates an action completed before the main verb.

भवेत् (bhavet) - what becomes of (one who attains truth) (may be, should be, would be, becomes)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Expresses potential or desiderative mood.

किम् (kim) - what (as a result) (what, which, who)

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Subject of 'bhavet'.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

कथम् (katham) - how (is it described) (how, in what manner, why)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

एव (eva) - moreover, indeed (indeed, just, only, truly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

तत् (tat) - it (referring to truth) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, it

Note: Refers to 'satyam'.

उच्यते (ucyate) - is described (how is it described) (is said, is called, is described)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Root 'vac' (to speak) takes the form 'ucyate' in passive present.