महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-128, verse-28

उमोवाच ।
भगवन्संशयं पृष्टस्तं मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ।
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य यो धर्मः स्वे स्वे वर्णे गुणावहः ॥२८॥

28. umovāca ,
bhagavansaṁśayaṁ pṛṣṭastaṁ me vyākhyātumarhasi ,
cāturvarṇyasya yo dharmaḥ sve sve varṇe guṇāvahaḥ.

28. umā uvāca bhagavan saṃśayam pṛṣṭaḥ tam me vyākhyātum
arhasi cāturvarṇyasya yaḥ dharmaḥ sve sve varṇe guṇā-vahaḥ

28. umā uvāca bhagavan tam pṛṣṭaḥ saṃśayam me vyākhyātum
arhasi yaḥ cāturvarṇyasya dharmaḥ sve sve varṇe guṇā-vahaḥ

28. Umā spoke: 'O venerable one, I have asked a doubt; you ought to explain to me which constitution (dharma) of the four social classes (varṇas) is beneficial for each respective class.'

Words meanings summery:

• उमा (umā) - Umā (name of goddess)

• उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

• भगवन् (bhagavan) - O venerable one, O divine one

• संशयम् (saṁśayam) - a doubt, a question

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - (by me) asked (asked, questioned)

• तम् (tam) - that (doubt)

• मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

• व्याख्यातुम् (vyākhyātum) - to explain, to expound

• अर्हसि (arhasi) - you ought, you are able

• चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य (cāturvarṇyasya) - of the four social classes (varṇas) (of the four social classes)

• यः (yaḥ) - which, who

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

• स्वे स्वे (sve sve) - in each respective (class)

• वर्णे (varṇe) - in the class (social class)

• गुणा-वहः (guṇā-vahaḥ) - bringing good qualities, beneficial, meritorious

Words meanings and morphology

उमा (umā) - Umā (name of goddess)

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of umā

umā - Umā, a name of Pārvatī

उवाच (uvāca) - spoke, said

(verb)

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

Root: √vac (class 2)

भगवन् (bhagavan) - O venerable one, O divine one

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - venerable, divine, glorious, fortunate

संशयम् (saṁśayam) - a doubt, a question

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of saṃśaya

saṁśaya - doubt, uncertainty, question

verbal noun

derived from sam-√śī

Prefix: sam

Root: √śī (class 2)

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - (by me) asked (asked, questioned)

(verbal derivative)

तम् (tam) - that (doubt)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, it

मे (me) - to me (to me, my)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

व्याख्यातुम् (vyākhyātum) - to explain, to expound

(verbal derivative)

अर्हसि (arhasi) - you ought, you are able

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of arh

Root: √arh (class 1)

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य (cāturvarṇyasya) - of the four social classes (varṇas) (of the four social classes)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of cāturvarṇya

cāturvarṇya - the system of four social classes, the four social classes

derived from caturvarṇa + ṣyaK (तस्य भावस्तलतलो: 5.1.119)

Compound type : tatpurusha (catur+varṇa)

• catur – four
  numeral
• varṇa – social class, color, quality
  noun (masculine)

यः (yaḥ) - which, who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what

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

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature

Root: √dhṛ (class 1)

स्वे स्वे (sve sve) - in each respective (class)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of sva

sva - one's own, respective

Note: Repetition for emphasis: 'each and every'

वर्णे (varṇe) - in the class (social class)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of varṇa

varṇa - color, outward appearance, social class, caste

गुणा-वहः (guṇā-vahaḥ) - bringing good qualities, beneficial, meritorious

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of guṇā-vaha

guṇā-vaha - bringing good qualities, beneficial, meritorious, productive of merit

Compound type : tatpurusha (guṇa+vaha)

• guṇa – quality, virtue, excellence
  noun (masculine)
• vaha – carrying, bringing, conveying (often as a suffix)
  adjective
  derived from √vah
  Root: √vah (class 1)