महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-16, verse-16

ब्रह्मा शतक्रतुर्विष्णुर्विश्वेदेवा महर्षयः ।
न विदुस्त्वां तु तत्त्वेन कुतो वेत्स्यामहे वयम् ॥१६॥

16. brahmā śatakraturviṣṇurviśvedevā maharṣayaḥ ,
na vidustvāṁ tu tattvena kuto vetsyāmahe vayam.

16. brahmā śatakratuḥ viṣṇuḥ viśvedevāḥ maharṣayaḥ
na viduḥ tvām tu tattvena kutaḥ vetsyāmahe vayam

16. brahmā śatakratuḥ viṣṇuḥ viśvedevāḥ maharṣayaḥ
tu tvām tattvena na viduḥ kutaḥ vayam vetsyāmahe

16. Even Brahmā, Indra (Śatakratu, the one of a hundred Vedic rituals), Viṣṇu, the Viśvedevas, and the great sages do not truly know You in Your essence. How, then, can we know You?

Words meanings summery:

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator deity)

• शतक्रतुः (śatakratuḥ) - Indra, one who has performed a hundred Vedic rituals

• विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu (the preserver deity)

• विश्वेदेवाः (viśvedevāḥ) - Viśvedevas (a class of deities)

• महर्षयः (maharṣayaḥ) - great sages

• न (na) - not

• विदुः (viduḥ) - they know

• त्वाम् (tvām) - you

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - in reality, in truth, essentially

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where, how then

• वेत्स्यामहे (vetsyāmahe) - we shall know

• वयम् (vayam) - we

Words meanings and morphology

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator deity)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator deity)

शतक्रतुः (śatakratuḥ) - Indra, one who has performed a hundred Vedic rituals

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śatakratu

śatakratu - Indra; one who has performed a hundred Vedic rituals (yajña)

Bahuvrīhi compound of `śata` (hundred) + `kratu` (Vedic ritual).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (śata+kratu)

• śata – hundred
  numeral (neuter)
• kratu – Vedic ritual (yajña), sacrifice
  noun (masculine)

विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu (the preserver deity)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of viṣṇu

viṣṇu - Viṣṇu (the preserver deity)

विश्वेदेवाः (viśvedevāḥ) - Viśvedevas (a class of deities)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of viśvedeva

viśvedeva - Viśvedevas (collective term for various deities, 'all gods')

Dvandva compound of `viśva` (all) + `deva` (god).

Compound type : dvandva (viśva+deva)

• viśva – all, whole, universal
  adjective
• deva – god, deity
  noun (masculine)
  Root: div (class 4)

महर्षयः (maharṣayaḥ) - great sages

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of maharṣi

maharṣi - great sage, great seer

Karmadhāraya compound of `mahā` (great) + `ṛṣi` (sage).

Compound type : karmadharaya (mahā+ṛṣi)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• ṛṣi – sage, seer, inspired poet
  noun (masculine)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

विदुः (viduḥ) - they know

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of vid

Root: vid (class 2)

त्वाम् (tvām) - you

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of tvad

tvad - you

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here for emphasis or contrast.

तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - in reality, in truth, essentially

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - truth, reality, essence, principle

कुतः (kutaḥ) - from where, how then

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here in the sense of 'how then' or 'it is impossible for'.

वेत्स्यामहे (vetsyāmahe) - we shall know

(verb)

1st person , plural, ātmanepada, future (lṛṭ) of vid

Root: vid (class 2)

वयम् (vayam) - we

(pronoun)

Nominative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we