महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-105, verse-13

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।
ब्राह्मणानां हस्तिभिर्नास्ति कृत्यं राजन्यानां नागकुलानि विप्र ।
स्वं वाहनं नयतो नास्त्यधर्मो नागश्रेष्ठाद्गौतमास्मान्निवर्त ॥१३॥

13. dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ,
brāhmaṇānāṁ hastibhirnāsti kṛtyaṁ; rājanyānāṁ nāgakulāni vipra ,
svaṁ vāhanaṁ nayato nāstyadharmo; nāgaśreṣṭhādgautamāsmānnivarta.

13. dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ uvāca | brāhmaṇānām hastibhiḥ
na asti kṛtyam rājanyānām nāgakulāni
vipra | svam vāhanam nayataḥ na asti
adharmaḥ nāgaśreṣṭhāt gautama asmān nivarta

13. dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ uvāca vipra brāhmaṇānām
hastibhiḥ kṛtyam na asti rājanyānām nāgakulāni
svam vāhanam nayataḥ adharmaḥ na
asti he gautama nāgaśreṣṭhāt asmān nivarta

13. Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: 'Brahmins have no use for elephants; O Brahmin, the finest breeds of elephants are for kings. There is no unrighteousness (adharma) for one who takes his own vehicle. Therefore, O Gautama, turn back from this best of elephants for our sake.'

Words meanings summery:

• धृतराष्ट्रः (dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ) - Dhṛtarāṣṭra (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• ब्राह्मणानाम् (brāhmaṇānām) - of Brahmins, for Brahmins

• हस्तिभिः (hastibhiḥ) - with elephants, by means of elephants

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• कृत्यम् (kṛtyam) - business, use, purpose, duty, something to be done

• राजन्यानाम् (rājanyānām) - of kings, for kings, of Kṣatriyas

• नागकुलानि (nāgakulāni) - breeds of elephants suitable for kings (lineages of elephants, breeds of elephants)

• विप्र (vipra) - O Brahmin!

• स्वम् (svam) - one's own, his own

• वाहनम् (vāhanam) - vehicle, mount

• नयतः (nayataḥ) - of someone who is taking (their own vehicle) (of one who is leading, of one who is taking)

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• अधर्मः (adharmaḥ) - unrighteousness, injustice, transgression, wrong conduct

• नागश्रेष्ठात् (nāgaśreṣṭhāt) - from this finest elephant (from the best of elephants)

• गौतम (gautama) - O Gautama!

• अस्मान् (asmān) - for our sake (us, to us (accusative))

• निवर्त (nivarta) - turn back (from taking this elephant) for our sake (turn back, cause to return, return (imperative))

Words meanings and morphology

धृतराष्ट्रः (dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ) - Dhṛtarāṣṭra (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dhṛtarāṣṭra

dhṛtarāṣṭra - Dhritarashtra; a proper name, lit. 'he who holds the kingdom'

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active, 3rd person singular

From √vac, perfect tense, 3rd singular active

Root: vac (class 2)

ब्राह्मणानाम् (brāhmaṇānām) - of Brahmins, for Brahmins

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - Brahmin, a member of the priestly class

हस्तिभिः (hastibhiḥ) - with elephants, by means of elephants

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of hastin

hastin - elephant (lit. 'having a hand/trunk')

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

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

Present Active, 3rd person singular

From √as, present tense, 3rd singular active

Root: as (class 2)

कृत्यम् (kṛtyam) - business, use, purpose, duty, something to be done

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛtya

kṛtya - to be done, duty, purpose, business, use

Gerundive

Derived from √kṛ ('to do') with suffix -tya

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Used as a noun here.

राजन्यानाम् (rājanyānām) - of kings, for kings, of Kṣatriyas

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of rājanya

rājanya - royal, princely, a king, a Kṣatriya

नागकुलानि (nāgakulāni) - breeds of elephants suitable for kings (lineages of elephants, breeds of elephants)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of nāgakula

nāgakula - family/lineage of serpents or elephants

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nāga+kula)

• nāga – serpent, elephant
  noun (masculine)
• kula – family, lineage, race, breed
  noun (neuter)

Note: Contextually refers to 'breeds of elephants'.

विप्र (vipra) - O Brahmin!

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vipra

vipra - Brahmin, inspired, wise

स्वम् (svam) - one's own, his own

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sva

sva - one's own, self, own property

Note: Adjectival use, modifying 'vāhanam'.

वाहनम् (vāhanam) - vehicle, mount

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vāhana

vāhana - vehicle, mount, carriage

Root: vah (class 1)

नयतः (nayataḥ) - of someone who is taking (their own vehicle) (of one who is leading, of one who is taking)

(participle)

Genitive, masculine, singular of nayat

nayat - leading, taking, guiding

Present Active Participle

Derived from √nī ('to lead, to take') with present active participle suffix -at

Root: nī (class 1)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

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

Present Active, 3rd person singular

From √as, present tense, 3rd singular active

Root: as (class 2)

अधर्मः (adharmaḥ) - unrighteousness, injustice, transgression, wrong conduct

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adharma

adharma - unrighteousness, injustice, wrong conduct, that which is contrary to (dharma)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+dharma)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative particle
• dharma – natural law, intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

नागश्रेष्ठात् (nāgaśreṣṭhāt) - from this finest elephant (from the best of elephants)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of nāgaśreṣṭha

nāgaśreṣṭha - best of elephants; best of serpents

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nāga+śreṣṭha)

• nāga – serpent, elephant
  noun (masculine)
• śreṣṭha – best, excellent, most superior
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of praśasya (good)

Note: Contextually 'best of elephants'.

गौतम (gautama) - O Gautama!

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of gautama

gautama - Gautama (a proper name, often a sage)

अस्मान् (asmān) - for our sake (us, to us (accusative))

(pronoun)

Accusative, plural of asmad

asmad - we, us

Note: Accusative of 'asmad' (we, us). Here it implies 'for our sake' or 'from us' in combination with nivarta.

निवर्त (nivarta) - turn back (from taking this elephant) for our sake (turn back, cause to return, return (imperative))

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of vṛt

Imperative Active, 2nd person singular

From √vṛt with prefix ni-, imperative, 2nd singular active. In context with 'asmān' and 'nāgaśreṣṭhāt', it means 'turn back from the elephant for our sake'.

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)