महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-318, verse-24

अन्नपानानि जीर्यन्ते यत्र भक्षाश्च भक्षिताः ।
तस्मिन्नेवोदरे गर्भः किं नान्नमिव जीर्यते ॥२४॥

24. annapānāni jīryante yatra bhakṣāśca bhakṣitāḥ ,
tasminnevodare garbhaḥ kiṁ nānnamiva jīryate.

24. annapānāni jīryante yatra bhakṣāḥ ca bhakṣitāḥ
tasmin eva udare garbhaḥ kim na annam iva jīryate

24. yatra annapānāni jīryante,
ca bhakṣitāḥ bhakṣāḥ (jīryante),
tasmin eva udare garbhaḥ annam iva kim na jīryate

24. Where food and drinks are digested, and all consumed eatables are broken down, why is the embryo itself not digested like food within that same womb?

Words meanings summery:

• अन्नपानानि (annapānāni) - food and drinks

• जीर्यन्ते (jīryante) - they are digested, they waste away, they decay

• यत्र (yatra) - where, in which place

• भक्षाः (bhakṣāḥ) - edibles, food items

• च (ca) - and, also

• भक्षिताः (bhakṣitāḥ) - eaten, consumed

• तस्मिन् (tasmin) - in that

• एव (eva) - indeed, very, only

• उदरे (udare) - in the womb, in the belly

• गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo, the fetus

• किम् (kim) - why, what (interrogative)

• न (na) - not, no

• अन्नम् (annam) - food

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• जीर्यते (jīryate) - it is digested, it wastes away

Words meanings and morphology

अन्नपानानि (annapānāni) - food and drinks

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of annapāna

annapāna - food and drink, sustenance

Compound type : dvandva (anna+pāna)

• anna – food, grain, cooked rice
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from root ad (to eat)
  Root: ad (class 2)
• pāna – drinking, drink, beverage
  noun (neuter)
  from root pā (to drink)
  Root: pā (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'jīryante'.

जीर्यन्ते (jīryante) - they are digested, they waste away, they decay

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of jīr

Present Tense, Middle Voice, Indicative Mood

from root jṝ (also jīr), 9th class, P.P. -ya

Root: jṝ (class 9)

यत्र (yatra) - where, in which place

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of place.

भक्षाः (bhakṣāḥ) - edibles, food items

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhakṣa

bhakṣa - food, eatable, that which is eaten

from root bhakṣ (to eat)

Root: bhakṣ (class 1)

Note: Subject, implying they are also digested.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

भक्षिताः (bhakṣitāḥ) - eaten, consumed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhakṣita

bhakṣita - eaten, devoured, consumed

Past Passive Participle

from root bhakṣ (to eat), P.P. -ita

Root: bhakṣ (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'bhakṣāḥ'.

तस्मिन् (tasmin) - in that

(pronoun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Qualifies 'udare'.

एव (eva) - indeed, very, only

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'udare'.

उदरे (udare) - in the womb, in the belly

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of udara

udara - belly, abdomen, womb

गर्भः (garbhaḥ) - the embryo, the fetus

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of garbha

garbha - womb, embryo, fetus, child, inside

Note: Subject of the second 'jīryate'.

किम् (kim) - why, what (interrogative)

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'jīryate'.

अन्नम् (annam) - food

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of anna

anna - food, grain, cooked rice

Past Passive Participle

from root ad (to eat)

Root: ad (class 2)

Note: Object of comparison with 'iva'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

जीर्यते (jīryate) - it is digested, it wastes away

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of jīr

Present Tense, Middle Voice, Indicative Mood

from root jṝ (also jīr), 9th class, P.P. -ya

Root: jṝ (class 9)