महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-175, verse-4

कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः ।
अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥४॥

4. kīdṛśo jīvatāṁ jīvaḥ kva vā gacchanti ye mṛtāḥ ,
asmāllokādamuṁ lokaṁ sarvaṁ śaṁsatu no bhavān.

4. kīdṛśaḥ jīvatām jīvaḥ kva vā gacchanti ye mṛtāḥ
asmāt lokāt amum lokam sarvam śaṃsatu naḥ bhavān

4. jīvatām jīvaḥ kīdṛśaḥ? ye mṛtāḥ (te) asmāt lokāt amum lokam kva vā gacchanti? bhavān naḥ sarvam śaṃsatu.

4. What is the nature of the living soul (jīva)? And where do those who have died go, from this world to the next? May you explain all this to us.

Words meanings summery:

• कीदृशः (kīdṛśaḥ) - what is the nature of (of what kind, what sort of, what nature)

• जीवताम् (jīvatām) - of those who are alive (of the living, among the living)

• जीवः (jīvaḥ) - the soul (jīva) (soul, individual self, living being)

• क्व (kva) - where (where, whither)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either...or, as if)

• गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - do they go (they go, they move)

• ये (ye) - those who (who, which (plural))

• मृताः (mṛtāḥ) - those who are dead (dead, deceased)

• अस्मात् (asmāt) - from this

• लोकात् (lokāt) - from this world (from the world)

• अमुम् (amum) - to that (to that, that one)

• लोकम् (lokam) - to the world (world, realm)

• सर्वम् (sarvam) - all this (all, whole, everything)

• शंसतु (śaṁsatu) - may you explain (may he explain, let him declare, tell)

• नः (naḥ) - to us (to us, for us, our)

• भवान् (bhavān) - you (O Grandfather) (you (respectful), sir)

Words meanings and morphology

कीदृशः (kīdṛśaḥ) - what is the nature of (of what kind, what sort of, what nature)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kīdṛśa

kīdṛśa - of what kind, what sort, how, such as

Derived from 'kim' (what) and 'dṛś' (to see).

जीवताम् (jīvatām) - of those who are alive (of the living, among the living)

(adjective)

Genitive, plural of jīvat

jīvat - living, alive

Present Active Participle

From root jīv (to live) + suffix -at. Used as a substantive.

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Refers to living beings in general.

जीवः (jīvaḥ) - the soul (jīva) (soul, individual self, living being)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīva

jīva - life, soul, individual self, living being, person

From root jīv (to live).

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: In Indian philosophy, the individual soul or consciousness.

क्व (kva) - where (where, whither)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb of place.

वा (vā) - or (or, either...or, as if)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - do they go (they go, they move)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (Laṭ) of gam

Present tense, third person plural

Root gam (to go), 1st conjugation (gacchati).

Root: gam (class 1)

ये (ye) - those who (who, which (plural))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - who, which, what, whichever

Relative pronoun, masculine nominative plural.

मृताः (mṛtāḥ) - those who are dead (dead, deceased)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mṛta

mṛta - dead, deceased; death

Past Passive Participle

From root mṛ (to die) + suffix -ta. Used as a substantive.

Root: mṛ (class 6)

अस्मात् (asmāt) - from this

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Demonstrative pronoun, ablative singular.

Note: Agrees with 'lokāt'.

लोकात् (lokāt) - from this world (from the world)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, realm, people

Root: lok (class 1)

Note: Refers to the current realm of existence.

अमुम् (amum) - to that (to that, that one)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of adas

adas - that, yonder, that one

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine accusative singular.

Note: Refers to the other world.

लोकम् (lokam) - to the world (world, realm)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, realm, space, people, community

Root: lok (class 1)

Note: Refers to the destination after death.

सर्वम् (sarvam) - all this (all, whole, everything)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, entire

Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

Note: Functions as the direct object of 'śaṃsatu'.

शंसतु (śaṁsatu) - may you explain (may he explain, let him declare, tell)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperative (Loṭ) of śaṃs

Imperative, third person singular

From root śaṃs (to praise, declare).

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

नः (naḥ) - to us (to us, for us, our)

(pronoun)

Dative, plural of vayam

vayam - we, us

Enclitic Dative/Genitive plural form of 'vayam' (first person pronoun).

भवान् (bhavān) - you (O Grandfather) (you (respectful), sir)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - you (polite address), sir; existing, present

Present Active Participle

From root bhū (to be) + suffix -at. Functions as a pronoun of polite address.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Formal and respectful 'you'.