महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-1, verse-38

सर्प उवाच ।
कार्याभावे क्रिया न स्यात्सत्यसत्यपि कारणे ।
तस्मात्त्वमस्मिन्हेतौ मे वाच्यो हेतुर्विशेषतः ॥३८॥

38. sarpa uvāca ,
kāryābhāve kriyā na syātsatyasatyapi kāraṇe ,
tasmāttvamasminhetau me vācyo heturviśeṣataḥ.

38. sarpa uvāca kāryābhāve kriyā na syāt sati asati api
kāraṇe tasmāt tvam asmin hetau me vācyaḥ hetuḥ viśeṣataḥ

38. sarpa uvāca kāryābhāve sati asati api kāraṇe kriyā na
syāt tasmāt tvam asmin hetau me viśeṣataḥ hetuḥ vācyaḥ

38. The snake said: 'Where there is no effect, there can be no action, regardless of whether a cause is present or not. Therefore, you must specifically explain the reason for considering me the cause in this matter.'

Words meanings summery:

• सर्प (sarpa) - the snake (snake, serpent)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• कार्याभावे (kāryābhāve) - in the absence of an effect (in the absence of an effect/action/deed)

• क्रिया (kriyā) - action, consequence (action, activity, performance, consequence)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be (may be, would be, should be)

• सति (sati) - when existing, when present (being, existing, present)

• असति (asati) - when not existing, when not present (not being, non-existent, absent)

• अपि (api) - even if, or (also, even, and, although, if)

• कारणे (kāraṇe) - cause (cause, reason, instrument)

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore (therefore, from that)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (the hunter) (you)

• अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this (reason/matter) (in this, on this)

• हेतौ (hetau) - in this reason (for blame) (in the cause, in the reason, for the sake of)

• मे (me) - by me (in the sense of 'for my benefit' or 'about me') (to me, for me, by me, my)

• वाच्यः (vācyaḥ) - to be specifically stated (by you to me), to be accused (referring to the snake's role) (to be spoken, to be said, to be told, to be blamed, to be accused)

• हेतुः (hetuḥ) - the cause (of me being blamed) (cause, reason, motive)

• विशेषतः (viśeṣataḥ) - specifically, in particular (especially, particularly, specifically)

Words meanings and morphology

सर्प (sarpa) - the snake (snake, serpent)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarpa

sarpa - snake, serpent

from root sṛp (to crawl)

Root: sṛp (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

root vac (to speak), liṭ lakāra, parasmaipada

Root: vac (class 2)

कार्याभावे (kāryābhāve) - in the absence of an effect (in the absence of an effect/action/deed)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kāryābhāva

kāryābhāva - absence of an effect/action

Compound type : tatpurusha (kārya+abhāva)

• kārya – deed, action, effect; to be done
  noun (neuter)
  Gerundive
  root kṛ (to do) + ṇyat suffix
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• abhāva – absence, non-existence
  noun (masculine)
  prefix a- (negation) + bhāva (being)
  Root: bhū (class 1)

क्रिया (kriyā) - action, consequence (action, activity, performance, consequence)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kriyā

kriyā - action, activity, performance, consequence

from root kṛ (to do) + ya suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

स्यात् (syāt) - would be (may be, would be, should be)

(verb)

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

Optative Mood

root as (to be), vidhiliṅ lakāra, parasmaipada

Root: as (class 2)

सति (sati) - when existing, when present (being, existing, present)

(adjective)

Locative, singular of sat

sat - being, existing, good, true

Present Participle

root as (to be) + śatṛ suffix

Root: as (class 2)

Note: locative absolute with kāraṇe

असति (asati) - when not existing, when not present (not being, non-existent, absent)

(adjective)

Locative, singular of asat

asat - not being, non-existent

Present Participle

na + root as (to be) + śatṛ suffix

Root: as (class 2)

Note: locative absolute with kāraṇe

अपि (api) - even if, or (also, even, and, although, if)

(indeclinable)

कारणे (kāraṇe) - cause (cause, reason, instrument)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument

from root kṛ (to do) + ana suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: locative absolute with sati api and asati api

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore (therefore, from that)

(pronoun)

Ablative, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: used adverbially to mean 'therefore'

त्वम् (tvam) - you (the hunter) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (pronoun)

अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this (reason/matter) (in this, on this)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, he, she, it

Note: agrees with hetau

हेतौ (hetau) - in this reason (for blame) (in the cause, in the reason, for the sake of)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of hetu

hetu - cause, reason, motive

from root hi (to send, to urge)

Root: hi (class 3)

मे (me) - by me (in the sense of 'for my benefit' or 'about me') (to me, for me, by me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I (pronoun)

Note: Can be dative or genitive; here for 'to me' or 'about me'

वाच्यः (vācyaḥ) - to be specifically stated (by you to me), to be accused (referring to the snake's role) (to be spoken, to be said, to be told, to be blamed, to be accused)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vācya

vācya - to be spoken, to be blamed

Gerundive

root vac (to speak) + ṇyat suffix

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: agrees with hetuḥ

हेतुः (hetuḥ) - the cause (of me being blamed) (cause, reason, motive)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hetu

hetu - cause, reason, motive

from root hi (to send, to urge)

Root: hi (class 3)

विशेषतः (viśeṣataḥ) - specifically, in particular (especially, particularly, specifically)

(indeclinable)

from viśeṣa + tas suffix