महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-333, verse-10

त्रीन्पिण्डान्न्यस्य वै पृथ्व्यां पूर्वं दत्त्वा कुशानिति ।
कथं तु पिण्डसंज्ञां ते पितरो लेभिरे पुरा ॥१०॥

10. trīnpiṇḍānnyasya vai pṛthvyāṁ pūrvaṁ dattvā kuśāniti ,
kathaṁ tu piṇḍasaṁjñāṁ te pitaro lebhire purā.

10. trīn piṇḍān nyasya vai pṛthvyām pūrvam dattvā kuśān
iti katham tu piṇḍasaṃjñām te pitaraḥ lebhire purā

10. trīn piṇḍān pṛthvyām nyasya pūrvam kuśān dattvā iti
vai te pitaraḥ piṇḍasaṃjñām katham purā tu lebhire

10. After placing three rice balls (piṇḍa) on the earth and first offering kuśa grass – how, indeed, did those ancestors (pitaraḥ) in ancient times attain the designation 'piṇḍa'?

Words meanings summery:

• त्रीन् (trīn) - three

• पिण्डान् (piṇḍān) - rice balls (piṇḍa) for ritual offerings (rice balls, lumps)

• न्यस्य (nyasya) - having placed, having laid down

• वै (vai) - indeed, verily, truly

• पृथ्व्याम् (pṛthvyām) - on the earth, on the ground

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - first, before, formerly

• दत्त्वा (dattvā) - having given, having offered

• कुशान् (kuśān) - kusha grass (sacred grass)

• इति (iti) - thus, introducing the subsequent question (thus, so, marking a quotation or conclusion)

• कथम् (katham) - how? why?

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

• पिण्डसंज्ञाम् (piṇḍasaṁjñām) - the designation 'piṇḍa' (designation of 'piṇḍa', name of 'piṇḍa')

• ते (te) - those (ancestors) (those, they)

• पितरः (pitaraḥ) - ancestors (pitaraḥ), forefathers (ancestors, fathers)

• लेभिरे (lebhire) - obtained, acquired, received

• पुरा (purā) - in the past, formerly

Words meanings and morphology

त्रीन् (trīn) - three

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tri

tri - three

Masculine accusative plural.

Note: Agrees with 'piṇḍān'.

पिण्डान् (piṇḍān) - rice balls (piṇḍa) for ritual offerings (rice balls, lumps)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of piṇḍa

piṇḍa - lump, ball, rice ball (offered to ancestors)

Masculine accusative plural.

Note: Object of 'nyasya'.

न्यस्य (nyasya) - having placed, having laid down

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From root 'as' (to throw, place) with prefix 'ni'.

Prefix: ni

Root: as (class 4)

वै (vai) - indeed, verily, truly

(indeclinable)

An emphasizing particle.

पृथ्व्याम् (pṛthvyām) - on the earth, on the ground

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of pṛthvī

pṛthvī - earth, ground, land

Feminine locative singular.

Note: Location of the action.

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - first, before, formerly

(indeclinable)

Neuter accusative singular, used adverbially.

Note: Adverbial usage.

दत्त्वा (dattvā) - having given, having offered

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From root 'dā' (to give).

Root: dā (class 3)

कुशान् (kuśān) - kusha grass (sacred grass)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of kuśa

kuśa - kuśa grass (Poa cynosuroides), sacred grass

Masculine accusative plural.

Note: Object of 'dattvā'.

इति (iti) - thus, introducing the subsequent question (thus, so, marking a quotation or conclusion)

(indeclinable)

Used to introduce a question or refer to the preceding description.

कथम् (katham) - how? why?

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

तु (tu) - but, yet, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

A particle of emphasis or contrast.

पिण्डसंज्ञाम् (piṇḍasaṁjñām) - the designation 'piṇḍa' (designation of 'piṇḍa', name of 'piṇḍa')

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of piṇḍasaṃjñā

piṇḍasaṁjñā - designation of 'piṇḍa', name 'piṇḍa'

Compound of 'piṇḍa' and 'saṃjñā' (designation, name). Feminine accusative singular.

Compound type : tatpurusha (piṇḍa+saṃjñā)

• piṇḍa – lump, ball, rice ball (offered to ancestors)
  noun (masculine)
• saṃjñā – designation, name, consciousness, understanding
  noun (feminine)

Note: Object of 'lebhire'.

ते (te) - those (ancestors) (those, they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Masculine nominative plural.

Note: Subject of 'lebhire'.

पितरः (pitaraḥ) - ancestors (pitaraḥ), forefathers (ancestors, fathers)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pitṛ

pitṛ - father, ancestor

Note: Subject of 'lebhire'.

लेभिरे (lebhire) - obtained, acquired, received

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, past perfect (lit) of labh

Perfect middle

Third person plural, ātmanepada.

Root: labh (class 1)

पुरा (purā) - in the past, formerly

(indeclinable)