महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-340, verse-11

यथा येन च कल्पेन स तस्मै द्विजसत्तमः ।
कथां कथितवान्पृष्टस्तथा त्वमपि मे शृणु ॥११॥

11. yathā yena ca kalpena sa tasmai dvijasattamaḥ ,
kathāṁ kathitavānpṛṣṭastathā tvamapi me śṛṇu.

11. yathā yena ca kalpena saḥ tasmai dvijasattamaḥ
kathām kathitavān pṛṣṭaḥ tathā tvam api me śṛṇu

11. yathā ca yena kalpena saḥ dvijasattamaḥ pṛṣṭaḥ
tásmai kathām kathitavān tathā tvam api me śṛṇu

11. Just as that best among brahmins, when questioned, narrated the story to him and in what manner, so too you (should) listen to me.

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, how)

• येन (yena) - by which (manner) (by which, through which)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• कल्पेन (kalpena) - by what manner (by the manner, by the rule, by the aeon)

• सः (saḥ) - that (referring to the 'dvijasattama') (he, that)

• तस्मै (tasmai) - to him (referring to Surendra/Indra from the previous verse) (to him, to that)

• द्विजसत्तमः (dvijasattamaḥ) - that best among brahmins (best among brahmins, best among the twice-born)

• कथाम् (kathām) - the story (story, narrative, tale)

• कथितवान् (kathitavān) - narrated (narrated, told, related)

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - when questioned, when asked (questioned, asked, interrogated)

• तथा (tathā) - so too (so, thus, in that manner)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (the interlocutor, the King) (you)

• अपि (api) - also, too (also, even, too)

• मे (me) - to me (implied object of 'śṛṇu') (from me, to me, my)

• शृणु (śṛṇu) - (you) listen (listen, hear)

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, how)

(indeclinable)

येन (yena) - by which (manner) (by which, through which)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of yat

yat - which, who, what

Note: Refers to 'kalpena'.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

कल्पेन (kalpena) - by what manner (by the manner, by the rule, by the aeon)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kalpa

kalpa - manner, rule, sacred precept, aeon, cosmic period

सः (saḥ) - that (referring to the 'dvijasattama') (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Agrees with 'dvijasattamaḥ'.

तस्मै (tasmai) - to him (referring to Surendra/Indra from the previous verse) (to him, to that)

(pronoun)

Dative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the recipient of the story (Indra).

द्विजसत्तमः (dvijasattamaḥ) - that best among brahmins (best among brahmins, best among the twice-born)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - best of the twice-born (brahmins), chief brahmin

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born (a brahmin, kshatriya, or vaishya; often specifically brahmin), bird, tooth
  noun (masculine)
• sattama – best, excellent, most eminent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix -tama

Note: Refers to Narada from the previous verse.

कथाम् (kathām) - the story (story, narrative, tale)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of kathā

kathā - story, narrative, tale, discourse

Note: Object of the verb 'kathitavān'.

कथितवान् (kathitavān) - narrated (narrated, told, related)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kathitavat

kathitavat - one who has narrated or told

Past Active Participle

Derived from root kath (to tell, narrate) with suffix -vat

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: Agrees with 'dvijasattamaḥ'.

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - when questioned, when asked (questioned, asked, interrogated)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pṛṣṭa

pṛṣṭa - questioned, asked, interrogated

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root prach (to ask)

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Agrees with 'dvijasattamaḥ' (implied subject of a circumstantial clause).

तथा (tathā) - so too (so, thus, in that manner)

(indeclinable)

त्वम् (tvam) - you (the interlocutor, the King) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular, plural, dual)

Note: Subject of 'śṛṇu'.

अपि (api) - also, too (also, even, too)

(indeclinable)

मे (me) - to me (implied object of 'śṛṇu') (from me, to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we (singular, plural, dual)

Note: Enclitic form for dative or genitive.

शृणु (śṛṇu) - (you) listen (listen, hear)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of śru

Imperative Active

2nd person singular, imperative mood, active voice, parasmaipada

Root: śru (class 5)