महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-37, verse-5

कथमन्नं कथं दानं कथमध्ययनं तपः ।
कार्याकार्यं च नः सर्वं शंस वै त्वं प्रजापते ॥५॥

5. kathamannaṁ kathaṁ dānaṁ kathamadhyayanaṁ tapaḥ ,
kāryākāryaṁ ca naḥ sarvaṁ śaṁsa vai tvaṁ prajāpate.

5. katham annam katham dānam katham adhyayanam tapaḥ
kārya-akāryam ca naḥ sarvam śaṃsa vai tvam prajāpate

5. prajāpate tvam naḥ annam katham,
dānam katham,
adhyayanam katham,
tapaḥ (katham) ca kārya-akāryam sarvam vai śaṃsa

5. O Prajāpati, please explain to us all these things: how about food, how about charity (dāna), how about study, how about austerity (tapas), and what should and should not be done for us.

Words meanings summery:

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• अन्नम् (annam) - food, nourishment

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• दानम् (dānam) - giving, charity (dāna)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• अध्ययनम् (adhyayanam) - study, recitation

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance (tapas)

• कार्य-अकार्यम् (kārya-akāryam) - what should be done and what should not be done, right and wrong action

• च (ca) - and

• नः (naḥ) - to us, for us

• सर्वम् (sarvam) - all, whole

• शंस (śaṁsa) - explain, tell

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you

• प्रजापते (prajāpate) - O Prajāpati

Words meanings and morphology

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

अन्नम् (annam) - food, nourishment

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anna

anna - food, particularly boiled rice; nourishment

Note: Implied question: 'How about food?'

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

दानम् (dānam) - giving, charity (dāna)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - giving, gift, donation, charity (dāna)

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Implied question: 'How about giving?'

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

अध्ययनम् (adhyayanam) - study, recitation

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of adhyayana

adhyayana - study, reading, recitation (especially of Vedas)

Prefix: adhi

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Implied question: 'How about study?'

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance (tapas)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance (tapas), spiritual fervor, heat

Root: tap (class 1)

Note: Implied question: 'How about austerity?'

कार्य-अकार्यम् (kārya-akāryam) - what should be done and what should not be done, right and wrong action

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya-akārya

kārya-akārya - what is to be done and what is not to be done; proper and improper action

Compound type : Dvandva (kārya+akārya)

• kārya – to be done, fit to be done, duty, action
  noun (neuter)
  Gerundive
  Derived from root 'kṛ' (to do, to make) as a gerundive (future passive participle).
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• akārya – not to be done, improper action, unlawful
  noun (neuter)
  Gerundive
  Negative derivative of 'kārya' (to be done), from root 'kṛ'.
  Prefix: a
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

नः (naḥ) - to us, for us

(pronoun)

Dative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we (first person pronoun)

Note: Short form for dative/genitive plural of 'asmad'.

सर्वम् (sarvam) - all, whole

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, complete

शंस (śaṁsa) - explain, tell

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (lot) of śaṃs

Imperative Mood (Lot La-kāra)

Root 'śaṃs' (to praise, to declare) in the 2nd person singular, active voice of the imperative mood.

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)

(indeclinable)

त्वम् (tvam) - you

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (second person pronoun)

प्रजापते (prajāpate) - O Prajāpati

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of prajāpati

prajāpati - progenitor, creator, lord of creatures, Prajāpati (a specific deity)