महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-175, verse-8

कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः ।
शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥८॥

8. kathaṁ sṛṣṭāni bhūtāni kathaṁ varṇavibhaktayaḥ ,
śaucāśaucaṁ kathaṁ teṣāṁ dharmādharmāvatho katham.

8. katham sṛṣṭāni bhūtāni katham varṇavibhaktayaḥ
śaucāśaucam katham teṣām dharmādharmau atho katham

8. katham bhūtāni sṛṣṭāni? katham varṇavibhaktayaḥ (sṛṣṭāḥ)?
katham teṣām śaucāśaucam? atho katham dharmādharmau?

8. "How were living beings created? How were the divisions of social orders (varṇa) established? How are purity and impurity determined for them? And furthermore, how are right action (dharma) and wrong action (adharma) defined?"

Words meanings summery:

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

• सृष्टानि (sṛṣṭāni) - created (created, produced, brought forth)

• भूतानि (bhūtāni) - living beings (beings, creatures, elements)

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

• वर्णविभक्तयः (varṇavibhaktayaḥ) - divisions of social orders (varṇa) (divisions of social orders, class distinctions)

• शौचाशौचम् (śaucāśaucam) - purity and impurity

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

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - for them (of them, for them)

• धर्माधर्मौ (dharmādharmau) - right action (dharma) and wrong action (adharma) (right and wrong, virtue and vice)

• अथो (atho) - and furthermore (and then, furthermore, therefore)

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

Words meanings and morphology

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

(indeclinable)

सृष्टानि (sṛṣṭāni) - created (created, produced, brought forth)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, plural of sṛṣṭa

sṛṣṭa - created, produced, emitted, released

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root sṛj (to emit, create)

Root: sṛj (class 6)

Note: Agrees with 'bhūtāni'

भूतानि (bhūtāni) - living beings (beings, creatures, elements)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - being, creature, element, existing

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root bhū (to be)

Root: bhū (class 1)

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

(indeclinable)

वर्णविभक्तयः (varṇavibhaktayaḥ) - divisions of social orders (varṇa) (divisions of social orders, class distinctions)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of varṇavibhakti

varṇavibhakti - division of classes/castes, social distinctions

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (varṇa+vibhakti)

• varṇa – color, class, social order, caste
  noun (masculine)
• vibhakti – division, distinction, separation
  noun (feminine)

शौचाशौचम् (śaucāśaucam) - purity and impurity

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śaucāśauca

śaucāśauca - purity and impurity

Compound type : dvandva (śauca+aśauca)

• śauca – purity, cleanliness
  noun (neuter)
• aśauca – impurity, uncleanness
  noun (neuter)

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

(indeclinable)

तेषाम् (teṣām) - for them (of them, for them)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Declined form of 'tad'

धर्माधर्मौ (dharmādharmau) - right action (dharma) and wrong action (adharma) (right and wrong, virtue and vice)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of dharmādharma

dharmādharma - right and wrong, virtue and vice

Compound type : dvandva (dharma+adharma)

• dharma – right action, natural law, duty, virtue, constitution
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• adharma – unrighteousness, wrong action, vice, injustice
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: a

अथो (atho) - and furthermore (and then, furthermore, therefore)

(indeclinable)

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

(indeclinable)