महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-255, verse-37

तुलाधार उवाच ।
उत यज्ञा उतायज्ञा मखं नार्हन्ति ते क्वचित् ।
आज्येन पयसा दध्ना पूर्णाहुत्या विशेषतः ।
वालैः शृङ्गेण पादेन संभवत्येव गौर्मखम् ॥३७॥

37. tulādhāra uvāca ,
uta yajñā utāyajñā makhaṁ nārhanti te kvacit ,
ājyena payasā dadhnā pūrṇāhutyā viśeṣataḥ ,
vālaiḥ śṛṅgeṇa pādena saṁbhavatyeva gaurmakham.

37. tulādhāra uvāca uta yajñāḥ uta ayajñāḥ
makham na arhanti te kvacit ājyena payasā
dadhnā pūrṇāhutyā viśeṣataḥ vālaiḥ
śṛṅgeṇa pādena saṃbhavati eva gauḥ makham

37. tulādhāra uvāca.
uta yajñāḥ,
uta ayajñāḥ,
te kvacit makham na arhanti.
viśeṣataḥ ājyena,
payasā,
dadhnā,
pūrṇāhutyā.
gauḥ eva vālaiḥ śṛṅgeṇa pādena makham saṃbhavati.

37. Tulādhāra said: Indeed, both Vedic rituals (yajña) and non-sacrifices, they themselves never truly constitute the oblation (makha). Especially with ghee, milk, curds, and a full offering—it is indeed by the hairs, horn, and foot of a cow that an oblation (makha) becomes possible.

Words meanings summery:

• तुलाधार (tulādhāra) - The merchant, Tuladhara, who is giving the discourse to Jajali. (Tuladhara (proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• उत (uta) - and, also, moreover

• यज्ञाः (yajñāḥ) - sacrifices, offerings, rituals

• उत (uta) - and, also, moreover

• अयज्ञाः (ayajñāḥ) - non-sacrifices, non-offerings

• मखम् (makham) - oblation, offering, sacrifice

• न (na) - not

• अर्हन्ति (arhanti) - they deserve, they are worthy of

• ते (te) - referring to sacrifices and non-sacrifices (they)

• क्वचित् (kvacit) - anywhere, ever, at any time

• आज्येन (ājyena) - with ghee, by ghee

• पयसा (payasā) - with milk, by milk

• दध्ना (dadhnā) - with curds, by curds

• पूर्णाहुत्या (pūrṇāhutyā) - with a full offering, by a complete oblation

• विशेषतः (viśeṣataḥ) - especially, particularly

• वालैः (vālaiḥ) - by hairs, with hairs

• शृङ्गेण (śṛṅgeṇa) - by a horn, with a horn

• पादेन (pādena) - by a foot, with a foot

• संभवति (saṁbhavati) - it becomes possible, it originates, it exists

• एव (eva) - indeed, very, only

• गौः (gauḥ) - a cow

• मखम् (makham) - the sacrificial offering (yajña) (oblation, offering, sacrifice)

Words meanings and morphology

तुलाधार (tulādhāra) - The merchant, Tuladhara, who is giving the discourse to Jajali. (Tuladhara (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tulādhāra

tulādhāra - scale-bearer, a proper name (of a righteous merchant)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tulā+dhāra)

• tulā – balance, scales
  noun (feminine)
• dhāra – bearing, holding, carrying, maintainer
  noun/adjective (masculine)
  From √dhṛ 'to hold'
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Standard introductory phrase for speech.

उत (uta) - and, also, moreover

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative particle.

यज्ञाः (yajñāḥ) - sacrifices, offerings, rituals

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yajña

yajña - sacrifice, offering, worship, ritual

From √yaj 'to sacrifice, worship'

Root: yaj (class 1)

Note: Subject of arhanti.

उत (uta) - and, also, moreover

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative particle.

अयज्ञाः (ayajñāḥ) - non-sacrifices, non-offerings

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ayajña

ayajña - non-sacrifice, non-offering, that which is not a sacrifice

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+yajña)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• yajña – sacrifice, offering, worship, ritual
  noun (masculine)
  From √yaj 'to sacrifice, worship'
  Root: yaj (class 1)

Note: Subject of arhanti.

मखम् (makham) - oblation, offering, sacrifice

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of makha

makha - sacrifice, offering, feast, battle, a kind of sacrificial offering

Note: Object of arhanti.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation particle.

अर्हन्ति (arhanti) - they deserve, they are worthy of

(verb)

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

Root: arh (class 1)

Note: Verb for yajñāḥ and ayajñāḥ (via te).

ते (te) - referring to sacrifices and non-sacrifices (they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to yajñāḥ uta ayajñāḥ.

क्वचित् (kvacit) - anywhere, ever, at any time

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverbial.

आज्येन (ājyena) - with ghee, by ghee

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of ājya

ājya - ghee, clarified butter (used in sacrifice)

From √añj 'to anoint, smear'

Root: añj (class 7)

Note: Means or instrument.

पयसा (payasā) - with milk, by milk

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of payas

payas - milk, water, juice

Note: Means or instrument.

दध्ना (dadhnā) - with curds, by curds

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of dadhi

dadhi - curd, coagulated milk, yogurt

Note: Means or instrument.

पूर्णाहुत्या (pūrṇāhutyā) - with a full offering, by a complete oblation

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of pūrṇāhuti

pūrṇāhuti - full offering, complete oblation (in a sacrifice)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (pūrṇa+āhuti)

• pūrṇa – full, complete, abundant
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From √pṝ 'to fill'
  Root: pṝ (class 9)
• āhuti – offering, oblation, sacrifice
  noun (feminine)
  From √hu 'to sacrifice' with ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: hu (class 3)

Note: Means or instrument.

विशेषतः (viśeṣataḥ) - especially, particularly

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying the preceding instrumental nouns.

वालैः (vālaiḥ) - by hairs, with hairs

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of vāla

vāla - hair (especially of a tail or mane), bristle

Note: Means or instrument.

शृङ्गेण (śṛṅgeṇa) - by a horn, with a horn

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of śṛṅga

śṛṅga - horn, peak, summit

Note: Means or instrument.

पादेन (pādena) - by a foot, with a foot

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of pāda

pāda - foot, leg, quarter, ray, column

Note: Means or instrument.

संभवति (saṁbhavati) - it becomes possible, it originates, it exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of saṃbhav

Prefix: sam

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Verb for gauḥ and makham.

एव (eva) - indeed, very, only

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

गौः (gauḥ) - a cow

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of go

go - cow, ox, cattle, earth, ray of light

Note: Subject.

मखम् (makham) - the sacrificial offering (yajña) (oblation, offering, sacrifice)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of makha

makha - sacrifice, offering, feast, battle, a kind of sacrificial offering

Note: Here, it functions more as a predicate nominative or part of the verb phrase 'makham saṃbhavati' - 'becomes an offering'.