महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-306, verse-49

यो घृतार्थी खरीक्षीरं मथेद्गन्धर्वसत्तम ।
विष्ठां तत्रानुपश्येत न मण्डं नापि वा घृतम् ॥४९॥

49. yo ghṛtārthī kharīkṣīraṁ mathedgandharvasattama ,
viṣṭhāṁ tatrānupaśyeta na maṇḍaṁ nāpi vā ghṛtam.

49. yaḥ ghṛtārthī kharīkṣīraṃ mathet gandharvasattama
viṣṭhāṃ tatra anupaśyeta na maṇḍaṃ na api vā ghṛtam

49. gandharvasattama yaḥ ghṛtārthī kharīkṣīraṃ mathet
tatra viṣṭhāṃ anupaśyeta na maṇḍaṃ na api vā ghṛtam

49. O best among Gandharvas, anyone who churns donkey's milk hoping to get ghee will find only excrement there, neither cream nor, indeed, ghee.

Words meanings summery:

• यः (yaḥ) - whoever, he who

• घृतार्थी (ghṛtārthī) - desirous of ghee, seeking ghee

• खरीक्षीरं (kharīkṣīraṁ) - donkey's milk

• मथेत् (mathet) - would churn

• गन्धर्वसत्तम (gandharvasattama) - O best among Gandharvas

• विष्ठां (viṣṭhāṁ) - excrement, dung

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that case

• अनुपश्येत (anupaśyeta) - would perceive, would see

• न (na) - not, neither

• मण्डं (maṇḍaṁ) - cream, scum, froth

• न (na) - nor

• अपि (api) - even, also, indeed

• वा (vā) - or, alternatively

• घृतम् (ghṛtam) - ghee

Words meanings and morphology

यः (yaḥ) - whoever, he who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what (relative pronoun)

Note: Subject of the conditional clause.

घृतार्थी (ghṛtārthī) - desirous of ghee, seeking ghee

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ghṛtārthin

ghṛtārthin - seeking ghee, desirous of ghee

Tatpuruṣa compound of `ghṛta` (ghee) and `arthin` (desirous, seeking).

Compound type : Tatpurusha (ghṛta+arthin)

• ghṛta – ghee, clarified butter
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root `ghṛ` (to sprinkle, to shine), specifically `ghṛ` + `kta` (pp. suffix)
  Root: ghṛ
• arthin – desirous of, seeking, requesting
  adjective (masculine)
  From `artha` (purpose, object) + `in` (possessive suffix).

Note: Qualifies the implied subject of 'mathet'.

खरीक्षीरं (kharīkṣīraṁ) - donkey's milk

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kharīkṣīra

kharīkṣīra - donkey's milk

Tatpuruṣa compound: `kharī` (she-donkey) + `kṣīra` (milk).

Compound type : Genitive Tatpurusha (kharī+kṣīra)

• kharī – she-donkey
  noun (feminine)
• kṣīra – milk
  noun (neuter)

Note: Object of 'mathet'.

मथेत् (mathet) - would churn

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of math

Root `math` (or `manth`), 9th class verb (kriyādi).

Root: math (class 9)

Note: Expresses potential or hypothetical action.

गन्धर्वसत्तम (gandharvasattama) - O best among Gandharvas

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of gandharvasattama

gandharvasattama - best among Gandharvas

Tatpuruṣa compound `gandharva` (Gandharva) + `sattama` (best). `sattama` is a superlative suffix from `sat` (good, existing).

Compound type : Tatpurusha (gandharva+sattama)

• gandharva – Gandharva (a class of celestial beings)
  proper noun (masculine)
• sattama – best, most excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix `tama` added to `sat` (good/existing).

Note: Term of address.

विष्ठां (viṣṭhāṁ) - excrement, dung

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of viṣṭhā

viṣṭhā - feces, excrement, dung

Note: Object of 'anupaśyeta'.

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that case

(indeclinable)

From pronoun `tad` + suffix `tral`.

Note: Refers to the act of churning donkey's milk.

अनुपश्येत (anupaśyeta) - would perceive, would see

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of anupaś

Root `dṛś` (to see) with prefix `anu`. The root changes to `paś` in the present tense forms.

Prefix: anu

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Expresses potential or hypothetical action.

न (na) - not, neither

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'maṇḍam'.

मण्डं (maṇḍaṁ) - cream, scum, froth

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of maṇḍa

maṇḍa - cream, froth, scum, essence

Note: Object of implied 'labhet' (would obtain).

न (na) - nor

(indeclinable)

Note: Paired with the previous `na` to mean 'neither... nor'.

अपि (api) - even, also, indeed

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, alternatively

(indeclinable)

घृतम् (ghṛtam) - ghee

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ghṛta

ghṛta - ghee, clarified butter

Past Passive Participle

From root `ghṛ` (to sprinkle, to shine) + `kta` suffix; often refers to solidified fat.

Root: ghṛ

Note: Object of implied 'labhet'.