महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-80, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
क्वसमुत्थाः कथंशीला ऋत्विजः स्युः पितामह ।
कथंविधाश्च राजेन्द्र तद्ब्रूहि वदतां वर ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kvasamutthāḥ kathaṁśīlā ṛtvijaḥ syuḥ pitāmaha ,
kathaṁvidhāśca rājendra tadbrūhi vadatāṁ vara.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kva-samutthāḥ kathaṃ-śīlāḥ ṛtvijaḥ syuḥ
pitāmaha kathaṃ-vidhāḥ ca rājendra tat brūhi vadatām vara

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca pitāmaha rājendra vadatām vara ṛtvijaḥ
kva-samutthāḥ kathaṃ-śīlāḥ kathaṃ-vidhāḥ ca syuḥ tat brūhi

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said, "O Grandfather, O King among kings, O best of speakers, from where should the priests (ṛtvij) originate, what kind of conduct should they possess, and what should their qualifications be? Please tell me that."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

• उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

• क्व-समुत्थाः (kva-samutthāḥ) - originated from where, having what origin

• कथं-शीलाः (kathaṁ-śīlāḥ) - having what kind of character, of what conduct

• ऋत्विजः (ṛtvijaḥ) - priests, sacrificers

• स्युः (syuḥ) - should be, may be

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O Grandfather (vocative for Bhishma) (grandfather, great father)

• कथं-विधाः (kathaṁ-vidhāḥ) - of what kind, of what sort, having what nature

• च (ca) - and

• राजेन्द्र (rājendra) - O King among kings (vocative for Bhishma) (O king of kings, O chief of kings)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to the questions about priests) (that)

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, say

• वदताम् (vadatām) - among speakers

• वर (vara) - O best (vocative) (best, excellent, boon)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - firm in battle; a name of the eldest Pāṇḍava

उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

(verb)

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

Perfect active third person singular

reduplicated form, from root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

क्व-समुत्थाः (kva-samutthāḥ) - originated from where, having what origin

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kva-samuttha

kva-samuttha - originating from where

compound of kva (where) and samuttha (arisen)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kva+samuttha)

• kva – where, from where
  indeclinable
• samuttha – arisen, originated, born from
  adjective (masculine)
  past passive participle
  from root sthā with prefix sam-ud
  Prefixes: sam+ud
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Refers to ṛtvijaḥ

कथं-शीलाः (kathaṁ-śīlāḥ) - having what kind of character, of what conduct

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kathaṃ-śīla

kathaṁ-śīla - having what kind of character or nature

compound of kathaṃ (how, what kind) and śīla (character)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (katham+śīla)

• katham – how, what kind
  indeclinable
• śīla – character, conduct, nature
  noun (neuter)

Note: Refers to ṛtvijaḥ

ऋत्विजः (ṛtvijaḥ) - priests, sacrificers

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ṛtvij

ṛtvij - priest, sacrificer

स्युः (syuḥ) - should be, may be

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (liṅ) of as

Optative active third person plural

from root as

Root: as (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O Grandfather (vocative for Bhishma) (grandfather, great father)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - grandfather

कथं-विधाः (kathaṁ-vidhāḥ) - of what kind, of what sort, having what nature

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kathaṃ-vidha

kathaṁ-vidha - of what sort or kind

compound of kathaṃ (how) and vidha (kind)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (katham+vidha)

• katham – how, what kind
  indeclinable
• vidha – kind, sort, manner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to ṛtvijaḥ

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

राजेन्द्र (rājendra) - O King among kings (vocative for Bhishma) (O king of kings, O chief of kings)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājendra

rājendra - king of kings, emperor

compound of rājan (king) and indra (chief)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rājan+indra)

• rājan – king
  noun (masculine)
• indra – chief, lord, Indra (name of a deity)
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to Bhishma

तत् (tat) - that (referring to the questions about priests) (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, say

(verb)

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

Imperative active second person singular

from root brū

Root: brū (class 2)

वदताम् (vadatām) - among speakers

(participle)

Genitive, plural of vadat

vadat - speaking, speaker

present active participle

from root vad

Root: vad (class 1)

Note: Genitive plural used in comparative sense 'among X'

वर (vara) - O best (vocative) (best, excellent, boon)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, choicest; a boon