महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-37, verse-40

यथा षण्ढोऽफलः स्त्रीषु यथा गौर्गवि चाफला ।
शकुनिर्वाप्यपक्षः स्यान्निर्मन्त्रो ब्राह्मणस्तथा ॥४०॥

40. yathā ṣaṇḍho'phalaḥ strīṣu yathā gaurgavi cāphalā ,
śakunirvāpyapakṣaḥ syānnirmantro brāhmaṇastathā.

40. yathā ṣaṇḍhaḥ aphalaḥ strīṣu yathā gauḥ gavi ca aphalā
śakuniḥ vā apakṣaḥ syāt nirmantraḥ brāhmaṇaḥ tathā

40. yathā ṣaṇḍhaḥ strīṣu aphalaḥ yathā gauḥ gavi ca aphalā
vā śakuniḥ apakṣaḥ syāt tathā nirmantraḥ brāhmaṇaḥ

40. Just as an impotent man is fruitless concerning women, and a barren cow is useless among cattle, or a bird might be wingless, so too is a brāhmaṇa (brāhmaṇa) who lacks sacred formulas (mantra).

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - Just as (just as, as, according to)

• षण्ढः (ṣaṇḍhaḥ) - an impotent man (eunuch, impotent man)

• अफलः (aphalaḥ) - fruitless (fruitless, barren, useless)

• स्त्रीषु (strīṣu) - concerning women (among women, in women)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, according to)

• गौः (gauḥ) - a cow (cow, bull, cattle)

• गवि (gavi) - among cattle (in a cow, among cows/cattle)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• अफला (aphalā) - barren (fruitless, barren, useless)

• शकुनिः (śakuniḥ) - a bird (bird, a kind of bird)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either)

• अपक्षः (apakṣaḥ) - without wings (wingless, featherless, without a party/side)

• स्यात् (syāt) - might be (may be, should be, would be)

• निर्मन्त्रः (nirmantraḥ) - without sacred formulas (mantra) (without a mantra, lacking sacred formulas)

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brāhmaṇa (Brahmin, a person belonging to the priestly class)

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

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - Just as (just as, as, according to)

(indeclinable)

षण्ढः (ṣaṇḍhaḥ) - an impotent man (eunuch, impotent man)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ṣaṇḍha

ṣaṇḍha - eunuch, impotent, barren

अफलः (aphalaḥ) - fruitless (fruitless, barren, useless)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aphala

aphala - fruitless, barren, without result

Compound of 'a' (negation) + 'phala' (fruit).

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+phala)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• phala – fruit, result, consequence
  noun (neuter)

स्त्रीषु (strīṣu) - concerning women (among women, in women)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of strī

strī - woman, female

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, according to)

(indeclinable)

गौः (gauḥ) - a cow (cow, bull, cattle)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of go

go - cow, ox, cattle, earth, ray of light

गवि (gavi) - among cattle (in a cow, among cows/cattle)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of go

go - cow, ox, cattle, earth, ray of light

Note: Locative singular, meaning 'among cows' or 'in the case of a cow (relative to other cows)'.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

अफला (aphalā) - barren (fruitless, barren, useless)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of aphala

aphala - fruitless, barren, without result

Compound of 'a' (negation) + 'phala' (fruit).

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+phala)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• phala – fruit, result, consequence
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'gauḥ'.

शकुनिः (śakuniḥ) - a bird (bird, a kind of bird)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śakuni

śakuni - bird, a kind of bird of prey

Root: śak (class 5)

वा (vā) - or (or, either)

(indeclinable)

अपक्षः (apakṣaḥ) - without wings (wingless, featherless, without a party/side)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of apakṣa

apakṣa - wingless, featherless, impartial, without partisans

Compound of 'a' (negation) + 'pakṣa' (wing).

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (a+pakṣa)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• pakṣa – wing, feather, side, party
  noun (masculine)
  Root: pac (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'śakuniḥ'.

स्यात् (syāt) - might be (may be, should be, would be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of as

Optative Mood

3rd person singular, optative active.

Root: as (class 2)

निर्मन्त्रः (nirmantraḥ) - without sacred formulas (mantra) (without a mantra, lacking sacred formulas)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirmantra

nirmantra - without a mantra, uninitiated, lacking sacred texts

Compound of 'nis' (without) + 'mantra' (sacred formula).

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (nis+mantra)

• nis – out, forth, without
  indeclinable
  Prefix/preposition indicating 'without' or 'out'.
• mantra – sacred formula, hymn, spell, counsel
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root 'man' (to think).
  Root: man (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'brāhmaṇaḥ'.

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brāhmaṇa (Brahmin, a person belonging to the priestly class)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin, belonging to or relating to Brahmā or brahman (brahman)

Derived from 'brahman' (brahman).

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

(indeclinable)