महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-285, verse-3

पराशर उवाच ।
एवमेतन्महाराज येन जातः स एव सः ।
तपसस्त्वपकर्षेण जातिग्रहणतां गतः ॥३॥

3. parāśara uvāca ,
evametanmahārāja yena jātaḥ sa eva saḥ ,
tapasastvapakarṣeṇa jātigrahaṇatāṁ gataḥ.

3. parāśaraḥ uvāca evam etat mahārāja yena jātaḥ saḥ
eva saḥ tapasaḥ tu apakarṣeṇa jātigrahaṇatām gataḥ

3. mahārāja etat evam yena jātaḥ saḥ eva saḥ
tu tapasaḥ apakarṣeṇa jātigrahaṇatām gataḥ

3. Parashara said: "O great king, it is indeed so: by whom one is born, that very one he is. But it is by the diminution of austerities (tapas) that one attains the characteristic of a specific social class (jāti)."

Words meanings summery:

• पराशरः (parāśaraḥ) - Sage Parashara (Parashara (proper name of a sage))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• एवम् (evam) - indeed, so (thus, so, indeed)

• एतत् (etat) - this (fact) (this)

• महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king

• येन (yena) - by whom (the parent) (by whom, by which)

• जातः (jātaḥ) - (one who is) born (born, produced, become)

• सः (saḥ) - he (the offspring) (he, that)

• एव (eva) - indeed (indeed, only, very)

• सः (saḥ) - that (parent) (he, that)

• तु (tu) - but (but, on the other hand, yet)

• तपसः (tapasaḥ) - of austerities (tapas) (of austerity, of penance)

• अपकर्षेण (apakarṣeṇa) - by the diminution (by degradation, by diminution, by decline)

• जातिग्रहणताम् (jātigrahaṇatām) - the characteristic of a specific social class (jāti) (the state of being a specific class, the characteristic of a particular social classification)

• गतः (gataḥ) - has attained (gone, attained, reached)

Words meanings and morphology

पराशरः (parāśaraḥ) - Sage Parashara (Parashara (proper name of a sage))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parāśara

parāśara - Parashara (a celebrated Vedic sage, father of Vyasa)

Root: śṛ (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect active

Irregular perfect of root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

एवम् (evam) - indeed, so (thus, so, indeed)

(indeclinable)

एतत् (etat) - this (fact) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that

महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahārāja

mahārāja - great king, emperor

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+rājan)

• mahā – great
  adjective
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
  Root: rāj (class 1)

येन (yena) - by whom (the parent) (by whom, by which)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Instrumental singular of yad.

जातः (jātaḥ) - (one who is) born (born, produced, become)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jāta

jāta - born, produced, arisen, become

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root jan (to be born). Used here substantively.

Root: jan (class 4)

सः (saḥ) - he (the offspring) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Masculine nominative singular of 'tad'.

एव (eva) - indeed (indeed, only, very)

(indeclinable)

सः (saḥ) - that (parent) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Masculine nominative singular of 'tad'.

तु (tu) - but (but, on the other hand, yet)

(indeclinable)

तपसः (tapasaḥ) - of austerities (tapas) (of austerity, of penance)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - heat, penance, austerity (tapas), spiritual fervor

Root: tap (class 1)

अपकर्षेण (apakarṣeṇa) - by the diminution (by degradation, by diminution, by decline)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of apakarṣa

apakarṣa - degradation, diminution, inferiority, drawing away

From apa + root kṛṣ (to drag, draw).

Prefix: apa

Root: kṛṣ (class 1)

जातिग्रहणताम् (jātigrahaṇatām) - the characteristic of a specific social class (jāti) (the state of being a specific class, the characteristic of a particular social classification)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of jātigrahaṇatā

jātigrahaṇatā - the state of being a specific class/caste (jāti), the adoption of a caste/kind

Formed with suffix -tā (feminine noun suffix meaning 'state of being') on 'jātigrahaṇa'.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (jāti+grahaṇa+tā)

• jāti – birth, family, species, caste, class (jāti)
  noun (feminine)
  Root: jan (class 4)
• grahaṇa – taking, seizing, comprehension, classification
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root grah (to seize, take).
  Root: grah (class 9)
• tā – state, condition, suffix forming abstract nouns
  suffix (feminine)
  Suffix used to form feminine abstract nouns from adjectives or nouns.

Note: Object of 'gataḥ'.

गतः (gataḥ) - has attained (gone, attained, reached)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of gata

gata - gone, attained, reached, obtained

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root gam (to go). Used here actively.

Root: gam (class 1)