महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-262, verse-1

कपिल उवाच ।
वेदाः प्रमाणं लोकानां न वेदाः पृष्ठतःकृताः ।
द्वे ब्रह्मणी वेदितव्ये शब्दब्रह्म परं च यत् ।
शब्दब्रह्मणि निष्णातः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ॥१॥

1. kapila uvāca ,
vedāḥ pramāṇaṁ lokānāṁ na vedāḥ pṛṣṭhataḥkṛtāḥ ,
dve brahmaṇī veditavye śabdabrahma paraṁ ca yat ,
śabdabrahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ paraṁ brahmādhigacchati.

1. kapilaḥ uvāca | vedāḥ pramāṇam lokānām na
vedāḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtāḥ | dve brahmaṇī
veditavye śabdabrahma param ca yat | śabdabrahmaṇi
niṣṇātaḥ param brahma adhigacchati

1. kapilaḥ uvāca vedāḥ lokānām pramāṇam,
vedāḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtāḥ na dve brahmaṇī veditavye – śabdabrahma ca yat param śabdabrahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ param brahma adhigacchati.

1. Kapila said: The Vedas are the authority for people, and the Vedas should not be disregarded. Two aspects of the ultimate reality (brahman) are to be known: the sound-brahman (śabdabrahman) and that which is the supreme (para) brahman. One who is proficient in the sound-brahman attains the supreme (para) brahman.

Words meanings summery:

• कपिलः (kapilaḥ) - The sage Kapila (Kapila)

• उवाच (uvāca) - (Kapila) said (said, spoke)

• वेदाः (vedāḥ) - the sacred texts known as the Vedas (the Vedas, sacred knowledge)

• प्रमाणम् (pramāṇam) - the ultimate authority (authority, standard, evidence)

• लोकानाम् (lokānām) - for the people (humanity) (of the people, of the worlds)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• वेदाः (vedāḥ) - the sacred texts known as the Vedas (the Vedas, sacred knowledge)

• पृष्ठतः (pṛṣṭhataḥ) - from the back, indicating neglect or turning away (from the back, behind, away)

• कृताः (kṛtāḥ) - treated, regarded (as if turned away from) (made, done, performed)

• द्वे (dve) - two

• ब्रह्मणी (brahmaṇī) - two distinct aspects of the ultimate reality (brahman) (two aspects of brahman, two ultimate realities)

• वेदितव्ये (veditavye) - (which) are to be known (to be known, knowable)

• शब्दब्रह्म (śabdabrahma) - the ultimate reality (brahman) as manifested through sound or sacred texts (sound-brahman, the Absolute as sound/word)

• परम् (param) - the supreme (supreme, ultimate, higher)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• यत् (yat) - that which (is) (which, what, that)

• शब्दब्रह्मणि (śabdabrahmaṇi) - in the understanding/mastery of the sound-brahman (in the sound-brahman)

• निष्णातः (niṣṇātaḥ) - one who is proficient or thoroughly versed (skilled, proficient, immersed)

• परम् (param) - the supreme (supreme, ultimate, higher)

• ब्रह्म (brahma) - the supreme (para) brahman (brahman, ultimate reality)

• अधिगच्छति (adhigacchati) - attains (the supreme brahman) (attains, reaches, comprehends)

Words meanings and morphology

कपिलः (kapilaḥ) - The sage Kapila (Kapila)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kapila

kapila - name of a sage; tawny, reddish-brown

उवाच (uvāca) - (Kapila) said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect active

root vac, perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: vac (class 2)

वेदाः (vedāḥ) - the sacred texts known as the Vedas (the Vedas, sacred knowledge)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of veda

veda - Veda, sacred knowledge, scripture

Root: vid (class 2)

प्रमाणम् (pramāṇam) - the ultimate authority (authority, standard, evidence)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pramāṇa

pramāṇa - authority, standard, measure, proof

Prefix: pra

Root: mā (class 2)

लोकानाम् (lokānām) - for the people (humanity) (of the people, of the worlds)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of loka

loka - world, people, community

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

वेदाः (vedāḥ) - the sacred texts known as the Vedas (the Vedas, sacred knowledge)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of veda

veda - Veda, sacred knowledge, scripture

Root: vid (class 2)

पृष्ठतः (pṛṣṭhataḥ) - from the back, indicating neglect or turning away (from the back, behind, away)

(indeclinable)

indeclinable from pṛṣṭha (back)

कृताः (kṛtāḥ) - treated, regarded (as if turned away from) (made, done, performed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kṛta

kṛta - done, made, performed

Past Passive Participle

from root kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

द्वे (dve) - two

(numeral)

Note: Also used for feminine nominative/accusative dual. Here it is neuter to agree with brahmaṇī.

ब्रह्मणी (brahmaṇī) - two distinct aspects of the ultimate reality (brahman) (two aspects of brahman, two ultimate realities)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, dual of brahman

brahman - ultimate reality, the Absolute

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: stem is brahman (n-stem).

वेदितव्ये (veditavye) - (which) are to be known (to be known, knowable)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, dual of veditavya

veditavya - to be known, knowable

Gerundive

from root vid (to know), suffix -tavya

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Agrees with brahmaṇī.

शब्दब्रह्म (śabdabrahma) - the ultimate reality (brahman) as manifested through sound or sacred texts (sound-brahman, the Absolute as sound/word)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śabdabrahman

śabdabrahman - sound-brahman, the Absolute as sound/word

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śabda+brahman)

• śabda – sound, word
  noun (masculine)
• brahman – ultimate reality, the Absolute
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: It is singular here despite brahmaṇī being dual, because it's the name of one of the two.

परम् (param) - the supreme (supreme, ultimate, higher)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of para

para - supreme, highest, ultimate, other

Note: Agrees with yat in the first clause and brahma in the second.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

यत् (yat) - that which (is) (which, what, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Agrees with param.

शब्दब्रह्मणि (śabdabrahmaṇi) - in the understanding/mastery of the sound-brahman (in the sound-brahman)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of śabdabrahman

śabdabrahman - sound-brahman, the Absolute as sound/word

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śabda+brahman)

• śabda – sound, word
  noun (masculine)
• brahman – ultimate reality, the Absolute
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: stem is brahman (n-stem).

निष्णातः (niṣṇātaḥ) - one who is proficient or thoroughly versed (skilled, proficient, immersed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niṣṇāta

niṣṇāta - skilled, proficient, expert, immersed in

Past Passive Participle

from root snā (to bathe) with prefix ni

Prefix: ni

Root: snā (class 2)

Note: It functions as a noun here, 'one who is proficient.'

परम् (param) - the supreme (supreme, ultimate, higher)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of para

para - supreme, highest, ultimate, other

Note: Agrees with brahma.

ब्रह्म (brahma) - the supreme (para) brahman (brahman, ultimate reality)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of brahman

brahman - ultimate reality, the Absolute

Root: bṛh (class 1)

अधिगच्छति (adhigacchati) - attains (the supreme brahman) (attains, reaches, comprehends)

(verb)

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

present active

root gam with prefix adhi, present tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Prefix: adhi

Root: gam (class 1)