महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-73, verse-3

ऐल उवाच ।
कुतः स्विद्ब्राह्मणो जातो वर्णाश्चापि कुतस्त्रयः ।
कस्माच्च भवति श्रेयानेतद्वायो विचक्ष्व मे ॥३॥

3. aila uvāca ,
kutaḥ svidbrāhmaṇo jāto varṇāścāpi kutastrayaḥ ,
kasmācca bhavati śreyānetadvāyo vicakṣva me.

3. ailaḥ uvāca kutaḥ svit brāhmaṇaḥ jātaḥ varṇāḥ ca api kutaḥ
trayaḥ kasmāt ca bhavati śreyān etat vāyo vicakṣva me

3. ailaḥ uvāca vāyo,
svit brāhmaṇaḥ kutaḥ jātaḥ? api ca trayaḥ varṇāḥ kutaḥ (jātāḥ)? ca kasmāt śreyān bhavati? etat me vicakṣva.

3. Aila (Pururavas) said: "From where, pray, is the Brahmin born, and from where are the three (other) social classes (varṇas)? And from what does one become superior? O Vayu, explain this to me."

Words meanings summery:

• ऐलः (ailaḥ) - Pururavas, son of Ila, is speaking. (Aila (Pururavas))

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

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - Asking about the origin of Brahmins and other social classes. (from where, whence)

• स्वित् (svit) - Adds an interrogative or emphatic nuance to the question. (pray, indeed, perhaps)

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - The first of the four social classes. (Brahmin)

• जातः (jātaḥ) - Referring to the origin of the Brahmin. (born, produced, arisen)

• वर्णाः (varṇāḥ) - Refers to the three other social classes (Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra). (social classes (varṇas), colors)

• च (ca) - Connects the question about Brahmins to the question about other social classes. (and)

• अपि (api) - Also in addition to the Brahmin. (also, even)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - Repeated for the origin of the three social classes. (from where, whence)

• त्रयः (trayaḥ) - Refers to the other three social classes: Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra. (three)

• कस्मात् (kasmāt) - Asking for the reason or source of superiority. (from what, why)

• च (ca) - Connects the questions about origin to the question about superiority. (and)

• भवति (bhavati) - Asks what causes one to become superior. (becomes, is)

• श्रेयान् (śreyān) - Refers to becoming superior among individuals or classes. (superior, better, excellent)

• एतत् (etat) - Refers to all the questions previously asked. (this)

• वायो (vāyo) - Direct address to Matarishvan, who is Vayu, the Wind-god. (O Vayu (Wind-god))

• विचक्ष्व (vicakṣva) - Aila requests Vayu to explain these matters. (explain, tell)

• मे (me) - Explain to me. (to me, for me)

Words meanings and morphology

ऐलः (ailaḥ) - Pururavas, son of Ila, is speaking. (Aila (Pururavas))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aila

aila - son of Ila; relating to Ila

Patronymic from 'ilā' or 'ila'.

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

(verb)

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

perfect tense form

From root vac (2nd conjugation).

Root: vac (class 2)

कुतः (kutaḥ) - Asking about the origin of Brahmins and other social classes. (from where, whence)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form.

स्वित् (svit) - Adds an interrogative or emphatic nuance to the question. (pray, indeed, perhaps)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative particle.

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - The first of the four social classes. (Brahmin)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - Brahmin, relating to Brahman, learned man

From 'brahman' with suffix '-a'.

Note: Subject of 'jātaḥ'.

जातः (jātaḥ) - Referring to the origin of the Brahmin. (born, produced, arisen)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jāta

jāta - born, produced, become

Past Passive Participle

From root jan (to be born) with suffix -ta.

Root: jan (class 4)

वर्णाः (varṇāḥ) - Refers to the three other social classes (Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra). (social classes (varṇas), colors)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of varṇa

varṇa - color, outward appearance, class, social order (varṇa)

From root vṛ (to cover, to choose).

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Subject of implied 'jātāḥ'.

च (ca) - Connects the question about Brahmins to the question about other social classes. (and)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

अपि (api) - Also in addition to the Brahmin. (also, even)

(indeclinable)

Particle.

कुतः (kutaḥ) - Repeated for the origin of the three social classes. (from where, whence)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form.

त्रयः (trayaḥ) - Refers to the other three social classes: Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra. (three)

(numeral)

कस्मात् (kasmāt) - Asking for the reason or source of superiority. (from what, why)

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine/neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

Interrogative pronoun, ablative singular.

च (ca) - Connects the questions about origin to the question about superiority. (and)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

भवति (bhavati) - Asks what causes one to become superior. (becomes, is)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of bhū

present tense

From root bhū (1st conjugation).

Root: bhū (class 1)

श्रेयान् (śreyān) - Refers to becoming superior among individuals or classes. (superior, better, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, superior, more excellent, welfare

comparative degree

Comparative of 'praśasya' (praiseworthy). 'as'-stem adjective.

Note: Predicate adjective.

एतत् (etat) - Refers to all the questions previously asked. (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Demonstrative pronoun.

वायो (vāyo) - Direct address to Matarishvan, who is Vayu, the Wind-god. (O Vayu (Wind-god))

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vāyu

vāyu - wind, air, Wind-god

'u'-stem noun.

Root: vā (class 2)

विचक्ष्व (vicakṣva) - Aila requests Vayu to explain these matters. (explain, tell)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (lot) of vicakṣ

imperative mood

From root cakṣ (2nd conjugation) with prefix vi. Middle voice.

Prefix: vi

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

मे (me) - Explain to me. (to me, for me)

(pronoun)

singular of aham

aham - I, myself

Pronominal stem 'mad'.

Note: Here, dative.