महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-73, verse-1

भीष्म उवाच ।
य एव तु सतो रक्षेदसतश्च निबर्हयेत् ।
स एव राज्ञा कर्तव्यो राजन्राजपुरोहितः ॥१॥

1. bhīṣma uvāca ,
ya eva tu sato rakṣedasataśca nibarhayet ,
sa eva rājñā kartavyo rājanrājapurohitaḥ.

1. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca yaḥ eva tu sataḥ rakṣet asataḥ ca
nibarhayet saḥ eva rājñā kartavyaḥ rājan rājapurohitaḥ

1. rājan bhīṣmaḥ uvāca yaḥ eva tu sataḥ rakṣet ca asataḥ
nibarhayet saḥ eva rājñā rājapurohitaḥ kartavyaḥ

1. Bhishma said: "O King, only he who protects the virtuous and destroys the wicked should be appointed by the king as the royal priest."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma, the great warrior and elder, speaks. (Bhishma (a name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - Bhishma spoke. (said, spoke)

• यः (yaḥ) - He who (referring to the qualities of a good royal priest). (who, which)

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes 'he who' and 'he alone'. (indeed, only, just)

• तु (tu) - Introduces a condition or emphasizes a characteristic. (but, indeed, yet)

• सतः (sataḥ) - Of the virtuous or righteous people. (of the good, of the existent, of the virtuous)

• रक्षेत् (rakṣet) - The king's priest should protect the virtuous. (should protect, may protect)

• असतः (asataḥ) - Of the wicked or unrighteous people. (of the wicked, of the non-existent, of the unvirtuous)

• च (ca) - Connects 'protect the good' and 'destroy the wicked'. (and)

• निबर्हयेत् (nibarhayet) - The king's priest should destroy the wicked. (should destroy, may eliminate)

• सः (saḥ) - He (the one with the described qualities). (he, that)

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes 'he alone'. (indeed, only)

• राज्ञा (rājñā) - The king is the agent who performs the appointment. (by the king)

• कर्तव्यः (kartavyaḥ) - He should be appointed (made) a royal priest. (should be done, ought to be appointed, fit to be done)

• राजन् (rājan) - Direct address to the king (Janamejaya, presumably, as it's Bhishma speaking). (O king)

• राजपुरोहितः (rājapurohitaḥ) - The specific role being discussed. (royal priest)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma, the great warrior and elder, speaks. (Bhishma (a name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - The formidable; a proper name.

Derived from root bhīṣ, 'to frighten'.

Root: bhīṣ (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - Bhishma spoke. (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

perfect tense form

From root vac (2nd conjugation).

Root: vac (class 2)

यः (yaḥ) - He who (referring to the qualities of a good royal priest). (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

एव (eva) - Emphasizes 'he who' and 'he alone'. (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

Particle used for emphasis.

तु (tu) - Introduces a condition or emphasizes a characteristic. (but, indeed, yet)

(indeclinable)

Particle often used to mark a transition or emphasis.

सतः (sataḥ) - Of the virtuous or righteous people. (of the good, of the existent, of the virtuous)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of sat

sat - being, existing, good, virtuous, real

Present Active Participle

From root as (to be), present participle.

Root: as (class 2)

रक्षेत् (rakṣet) - The king's priest should protect the virtuous. (should protect, may protect)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhilin) of rakṣ

optative mood

From root rakṣ (1st conjugation).

Root: rakṣ (class 1)

असतः (asataḥ) - Of the wicked or unrighteous people. (of the wicked, of the non-existent, of the unvirtuous)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of asat

asat - non-existent, bad, wicked, unreal

Present Active Participle

Compound of 'a' (negation) + 'sat' (present participle of 'as').

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• sat – being, existing, good, virtuous, real
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  From root as (to be), present participle.
  Root: as (class 2)

च (ca) - Connects 'protect the good' and 'destroy the wicked'. (and)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

निबर्हयेत् (nibarhayet) - The king's priest should destroy the wicked. (should destroy, may eliminate)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhilin) of nibarh

optative mood

From root bṛh with prefix ni (10th conjugation, causative of bṛh).

Prefix: ni

Root: bṛh (class 10)

सः (saḥ) - He (the one with the described qualities). (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

एव (eva) - Emphasizes 'he alone'. (indeed, only)

(indeclinable)

Particle used for emphasis.

राज्ञा (rājñā) - The king is the agent who performs the appointment. (by the king)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

'n'-stem noun.

Root: rāj (class 1)

कर्तव्यः (kartavyaḥ) - He should be appointed (made) a royal priest. (should be done, ought to be appointed, fit to be done)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kartavya

kartavya - to be done, to be made, proper to be done

Gerundive (future passive participle)

Formed from root kṛ with suffix -tavya.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

राजन् (rājan) - Direct address to the king (Janamejaya, presumably, as it's Bhishma speaking). (O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

'n'-stem noun. Vocative singular.

Root: rāj (class 1)

राजपुरोहितः (rājapurohitaḥ) - The specific role being discussed. (royal priest)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājapurohita

rājapurohita - royal priest, king's chaplain

Compound noun.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rājan+purohita)

• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
  n-stem noun.
  Root: rāj (class 1)
• purohita – priest, chaplain (placed in front)
  noun (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From 'puras' (before) + root 'dhā' (to place), lit. 'placed in front'.
  Prefix: puras
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Appears as the predicate nominative.