महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-23, verse-16

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
यदिदं ब्राह्मणा लोके व्रतिनो भुञ्जते हविः ।
भुक्तं ब्राह्मणकामाय कथं तत्सुकृतं भवेत् ॥१६॥

16. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
yadidaṁ brāhmaṇā loke vratino bhuñjate haviḥ ,
bhuktaṁ brāhmaṇakāmāya kathaṁ tatsukṛtaṁ bhavet.

16. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca yat idam brāhmaṇāḥ loke vratinaḥ bhuñjate
haviḥ bhuktam brāhmaṇakāmāya katham tat sukṛtam bhavet

16. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca loke vratinaḥ brāhmaṇāḥ yat idam haviḥ
bhuñjate tat brāhmaṇakāmāya bhuktam katham sukṛtam bhavet

16. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'How can that offering (havis), which brahmins observing vows consume in this world for their own gratification, be considered a virtuous deed (sukṛta)?'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (eldest Pandava brother)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• यत् (yat) - which, that which

• इदम् (idam) - this

• ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - brahmins, members of the priestly class

• लोके (loke) - in the world, among people

• व्रतिनः (vratinaḥ) - observers of vows, ascetics

• भुञ्जते (bhuñjate) - they eat, they consume, they enjoy

• हविः (haviḥ) - oblation, sacrificial food, offering

• भुक्तम् (bhuktam) - eaten, consumed, enjoyed

• ब्राह्मणकामाय (brāhmaṇakāmāya) - for the desire/gratification of brahmins

• कथम् (katham) - how, why

• तत् (tat) - that (offering) (that)

• सुकृतम् (sukṛtam) - good deed, meritorious act, virtuous deed

• भवेत् (bhavet) - might be, should be, would be

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (eldest Pandava brother)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava prince)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

यत् (yat) - which, that which

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

इदम् (idam) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this here

ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - brahmins, members of the priestly class

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a brahmin (member of the priestly class)

लोके (loke) - in the world, among people

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, realm, people

व्रतिनः (vratinaḥ) - observers of vows, ascetics

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vratin

vratin - observing a vow, an ascetic, pious

भुञ्जते (bhuñjate) - they eat, they consume, they enjoy

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of bhuj

Root: bhuj (class 7)

हविः (haviḥ) - oblation, sacrificial food, offering

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of havis

havis - oblation, offering to gods, sacrificial food

भुक्तम् (bhuktam) - eaten, consumed, enjoyed

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhukta

bhukta - eaten, consumed, enjoyed

past passive participle

from √bhuj 'to eat, enjoy'

Root: bhuj (class 7)

ब्राह्मणकामाय (brāhmaṇakāmāya) - for the desire/gratification of brahmins

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇakāma

brāhmaṇakāma - desire for brahmins; for the sake of brahmins' desires

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brāhmaṇa+kāma)

• brāhmaṇa – brahmin
  noun (masculine)
• kāma – desire, wish, gratification
  noun (masculine)

कथम् (katham) - how, why

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that (offering) (that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

सुकृतम् (sukṛtam) - good deed, meritorious act, virtuous deed

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sukṛta

sukṛta - well done, good deed, virtuous act

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (su+kṛta)

• su – good, well, excellent
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, deed
  participle (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from √kṛ 'to do, make'
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

भवेत् (bhavet) - might be, should be, would be

(verb)

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

Root: bhū (class 1)