महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-79, verse-19

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
अथ चेत्सर्वतः क्षत्रं प्रदुष्येद्ब्राह्मणान्प्रति ।
कस्तस्य ब्राह्मणस्त्राता को धर्मः किं परायणम् ॥१९॥

19. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
atha cetsarvataḥ kṣatraṁ praduṣyedbrāhmaṇānprati ,
kastasya brāhmaṇastrātā ko dharmaḥ kiṁ parāyaṇam.

19. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca atha cet
sarvataḥ kṣatram praduṣyet brāhmaṇān
prati kaḥ tasya brāhmaṇaḥ
trātā kaḥ dharmaḥ kim parāyaṇam

19. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca atha cet sarvataḥ kṣatram brāhmaṇān prati praduṣyet,
tasya brāhmaṇaḥ trātā kaḥ? dharmaḥ kaḥ? parāyaṇam kim?

19. Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Now, if the entire warrior class (kṣatra) were to become corrupted against the Brahmins, who would be the protector for those Brahmins? What would be their natural law (dharma)? What would be their ultimate refuge?"

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said (he said, he spoke)

• अथ (atha) - now (now, then, moreover)

• चेत् (cet) - if

• सर्वतः (sarvataḥ) - entirely (entirely, completely, from all sides)

• क्षत्रम् (kṣatram) - the warrior class (kṣatra) (warrior class, dominion, power, kingdom)

• प्रदुष्येत् (praduṣyet) - were to become corrupted (it should become corrupted, it should be spoiled)

• ब्राह्मणान् (brāhmaṇān) - Brahmins (Brahmins (accusative plural))

• प्रति (prati) - against (against, towards, with respect to)

• कः (kaḥ) - who? (who?, what?)

• तस्य (tasya) - for those Brahmins (of him, of that)

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - protector of those Brahmins (as a Brahmin itself) (a Brahmin)

• त्राता (trātā) - protector (protector, saviour)

• कः (kaḥ) - what? (who?, what?)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - their natural law (dharma) (natural law, duty, righteousness, constitution)

• किम् (kim) - what? (what?, which?)

• परायणम् (parāyaṇam) - their ultimate refuge (ultimate refuge, main support, goal, supreme course)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

Etymologically, 'firm in battle', compound of `yudhi` (in battle) and `sthira` (firm).

Compound type : aluk-tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of `yudh` (battle).
  Root: yudh (class 4)
• sthira – firm, steady, constant
  adjective (masculine)
  From root `sthā` (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of `uvāca`.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect Active Third Person Singular

Derived from root `vac` (to speak), irregular perfect form.

Root: vac (class 2)

अथ (atha) - now (now, then, moreover)

(indeclinable)

Particle introducing a new topic or question.

चेत् (cet) - if

(indeclinable)

Conditional particle, often `cet` or `ced` in sandhi. Originally `ca` + `it`.

Note: Used to introduce a conditional clause.

सर्वतः (sarvataḥ) - entirely (entirely, completely, from all sides)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form derived from `sarva` (all) with suffix `-tas`.

Note: Modifies `kṣatram praduṣyet`.

क्षत्रम् (kṣatram) - the warrior class (kṣatra) (warrior class, dominion, power, kingdom)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṣatra

kṣatra - warrior class, dominion, power, kingdom

Root: kṣi (class 1)

Note: Subject of `praduṣyet`.

प्रदुष्येत् (praduṣyet) - were to become corrupted (it should become corrupted, it should be spoiled)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of praduṣ

Optative Active Third Person Singular

Derived from root `duṣ` (to be faulty, to spoil) with prefix `pra`.

Prefix: pra

Root: duṣ (class 4)

ब्राह्मणान् (brāhmaṇān) - Brahmins (Brahmins (accusative plural))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin, a member of the priestly class

Derived from `brahman` (Vedic text, sacred knowledge), indicating one who possesses or teaches it.

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Object of `prati`.

प्रति (prati) - against (against, towards, with respect to)

(indeclinable)

Preposition governing the accusative case.

Note: Governs `brāhmaṇān`.

कः (kaḥ) - who? (who?, what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun, masculine nominative singular.

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'is'.

तस्य (tasya) - for those Brahmins (of him, of that)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine/neuter genitive singular.

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - protector of those Brahmins (as a Brahmin itself) (a Brahmin)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin, a member of the priestly class

Derived from `brahman` (Vedic text, sacred knowledge), indicating one who possesses or teaches it.

Root: bṛh (class 1)

त्राता (trātā) - protector (protector, saviour)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of trātṛ

trātṛ - protector, saviour

Agent noun derived from root `trā` (to protect) with suffix `-tṛ`.

Root: trā (class 2)

Note: Predicate nominative.

कः (kaḥ) - what? (who?, what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun, masculine nominative singular.

Note: Interrogative for `dharmaḥ`.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - their natural law (dharma) (natural law, duty, righteousness, constitution)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness

Derived from root `dhṛ` (to sustain, to uphold).

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative to `kaḥ`.

किम् (kim) - what? (what?, which?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun, neuter nominative singular.

Note: Interrogative for `parāyaṇam`.

परायणम् (parāyaṇam) - their ultimate refuge (ultimate refuge, main support, goal, supreme course)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of parāyaṇa

parāyaṇa - ultimate refuge, main support, goal, supreme course

Prefix: parā

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Predicate nominative to `kim`.