महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-131, verse-3

वैश्यो वा क्षत्रियः केन द्विजो वा क्षत्रियो भवेत् ।
प्रतिलोमः कथं देव शक्यो धर्मो निषेवितुम् ॥३॥

3. vaiśyo vā kṣatriyaḥ kena dvijo vā kṣatriyo bhavet ,
pratilomaḥ kathaṁ deva śakyo dharmo niṣevitum.

3. vaiśyaḥ vā kṣatriyaḥ kena dvijaḥ vā kṣatriyaḥ bhavet
pratilomaḥ katham deva śakyaḥ dharmaḥ niṣevitum

3. deva kena vaiśyaḥ vā dvijaḥ vā kṣatriyaḥ bhavet
katham pratilomaḥ dharmaḥ niṣevitum śakyaḥ

3. O divine one, by what means can a Vaiśya or a Brahmin (dvija) become a Kṣatriya? How is it possible to follow such an irregular (pratiloma) natural law (dharma)?

Words meanings summery:

• वैश्यः (vaiśyaḥ) - a member of the merchant class, a Vaiśya

• वा (vā) - or, optionally

• क्षत्रियः (kṣatriyaḥ) - a member of the warrior class, a Kṣatriya

• केन (kena) - by what, by whom, how

• द्विजः (dvijaḥ) - a Brahmin (a twice-born one (Brahmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya); a Brahmin)

• वा (vā) - or, optionally

• क्षत्रियः (kṣatriyaḥ) - a member of the warrior class, a Kṣatriya

• भवेत् (bhavet) - may be, should be, might become

• प्रतिलोमः (pratilomaḥ) - against the hair or grain, inverted, contrary, irregular

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• देव (deva) - O god, O divine one

• शक्यः (śakyaḥ) - possible, capable of being done

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

• निषेवितुम् (niṣevitum) - to follow, to practice, to resort to

Words meanings and morphology

वैश्यः (vaiśyaḥ) - a member of the merchant class, a Vaiśya

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vaiśya

vaiśya - a man of the third class, merchant, husbandman

वा (vā) - or, optionally

(indeclinable)

क्षत्रियः (kṣatriyaḥ) - a member of the warrior class, a Kṣatriya

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kṣatriya

kṣatriya - a member of the warrior or ruling class, a Kṣatriya

केन (kena) - by what, by whom, how

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

द्विजः (dvijaḥ) - a Brahmin (a twice-born one (Brahmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya); a Brahmin)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dvija

dvija - twice-born (a Brahmin, Kṣatriya, or Vaiśya); a Brahmin; a bird; a tooth

Derived from 'dvi' (twice) and 'ja' (born).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dvi+ja)

• dvi – two, twice
  numeral
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective
  Derived from root 'jan' (to be born).
  Root: jan (class 4)

वा (vā) - or, optionally

(indeclinable)

क्षत्रियः (kṣatriyaḥ) - a member of the warrior class, a Kṣatriya

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kṣatriya

kṣatriya - a member of the warrior or ruling class, a Kṣatriya

भवेत् (bhavet) - may be, should be, might become

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

प्रतिलोमः (pratilomaḥ) - against the hair or grain, inverted, contrary, irregular

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pratiloma

pratiloma - against the hair or grain, inverted, contrary, irregular

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (prati+loman)

• prati – against, towards, in return
  indeclinable
• loman – hair, wool, down
  noun (neuter)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

देव (deva) - O god, O divine one

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of deva

deva - god, divine being, lord

शक्यः (śakyaḥ) - possible, capable of being done

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śakya

śakya - possible, practicable, capable of, able to be done

Gerundive

Derived from the root 'śak' with the suffix '-ya'.

Root: śak (class 5)

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

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, essential quality

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

निषेवितुम् (niṣevitum) - to follow, to practice, to resort to

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

Infinitive form (tum-pratyaya) of the root 'sev' with the prefix 'ni'.

Prefix: ni

Root: sev (class 1)