महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-175, verse-9

कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः ।
परलोकमिमं चापि सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥९॥

9. kīdṛśo jīvatāṁ jīvaḥ kva vā gacchanti ye mṛtāḥ ,
paralokamimaṁ cāpi sarvaṁ śaṁsatu no bhavān.

9. kīdṛśaḥ jīvatām jīvaḥ kva vā gacchanti ye mṛtāḥ
paralokam imam ca api sarvam śaṃsatu naḥ bhavān

9. bhavān naḥ jīvatām jīvaḥ kīdṛśaḥ [asti] vā ye mṛtāḥ
kva gacchanti ca imam paralokam api sarvam śaṃsatu

9. What is the nature of the life principle (jīva) in those who are alive? And where do those who have died go? Please explain everything about this other world to us.

Words meanings summery:

• कीदृशः (kīdṛśaḥ) - what kind of, of what nature

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

• जीवः (jīvaḥ) - life, living principle, soul, individual soul

• क्व (kva) - where?

• वा (vā) - or, either...or

• गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - they go, they proceed

• ये (ye) - who, those who

• मृताः (mṛtāḥ) - the dead, those who have died

• परलोकम् (paralokam) - the other world, the next world

• इमम् (imam) - this, here

• च (ca) - and, also

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• सर्वम् (sarvam) - all, everything

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

• नः (naḥ) - to us, our

• भवान् (bhavān) - your honor, you (respectful)

Words meanings and morphology

कीदृशः (kīdṛśaḥ) - what kind of, of what nature

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kīdṛśa

kīdṛśa - what kind of, of what appearance, of what nature

Compound of 'kim' (what) and 'dṛś' (seeing, appearance).

Compound type : avyayībhāva (kim+dṛśa)

• kim – what, which
  pronoun
• dṛśa – seeing, looking like, appearing
  adjective
  From root 'dṛś' (to see)
  Root: dṛś (class 1)

जीवताम् (jīvatām) - of those living, among the living

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of jīvat

jīvat - living, alive, a living being

Present Active Participle

Formed from root 'jīv' with suffix 'śatṛ'.

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Used substantively as 'of the living (beings)'.

जीवः (jīvaḥ) - life, living principle, soul, individual soul

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīva

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

From root 'jīv' (to live).

Root: jīv (class 1)

क्व (kva) - where?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb of place.

वा (vā) - or, either...or

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) - they go, they proceed

(verb)

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

Present Active Indicative

Present stem 'gaccha-'.

Root: gam (class 1)

ये (ye) - who, those who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yat

yat - who, which, what

Relative pronoun.

मृताः (mṛtāḥ) - the dead, those who have died

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mṛta

mṛta - dead, deceased, one who has died

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root 'mṛ' (to die) with suffix 'kta'.

Root: mṛ (class 6)

परलोकम् (paralokam) - the other world, the next world

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of paraloka

paraloka - the other world, the world beyond, the next world, heaven

Compound of 'para' (other) and 'loka' (world).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (para+loka)

• para – other, subsequent, distant, supreme
  adjective
• loka – world, region, people, folk
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'lok' (to see) or 'ruc' (to shine) (Pāṇini 3.3.118 'locati iti lokaḥ').
  Root: lok (class 1)

इमम् (imam) - this, here

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, here

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to 'paralokam'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

Note: Connects 'this other world' with the previous questions.

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

Particle.

सर्वम् (sarvam) - all, everything

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, entire

Pronominal adjective.

Note: Object of 'śaṃsatu'.

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

(verb)

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

Imperative Active

3rd person singular imperative, from root 'śaṃs'.

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

Note: Request/command to the respected person ('bhavān').

नः (naḥ) - to us, our

(pronoun)

Dative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

First person pronoun.

Note: Here, dative, 'to us'.

भवान् (bhavān) - your honor, you (respectful)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - being, existing, becoming, your honor

Present Active Participle (when meaning 'being'), used as an honorific pronoun.

From root 'bhū' (to be, to become). Used as honorific 'you'.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'śaṃsatu'.