महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-25, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
इदं मे तत्त्वतो राजन्वक्तुमर्हसि भारत ।
अहिंसयित्वा केनेह ब्रह्महत्या विधीयते ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
idaṁ me tattvato rājanvaktumarhasi bhārata ,
ahiṁsayitvā keneha brahmahatyā vidhīyate.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca idam me tattvataḥ rājan vaktum arhasi
bhārata ahiṃsayitvā kena iha brahmahatyā vidhīyate

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'O King, O Bhārata, you should explain this to me truthfully: by what means can a `brahmahatyā` (the sin of killing a brahmin) be committed here (in this world) without actually inflicting harm?'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• इदम् (idam) - this, this (matter)

• मे (me) - to me, for me

• तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - truly, in truth, in reality, essentially

• राजन् (rājan) - O King

• वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to tell

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

• भारत (bhārata) - O descendant of Bharata, O Bhārata

• अहिंसयित्वा (ahiṁsayitvā) - without harming, without violence

• केन (kena) - by what, by whom, by what means

• इह (iha) - here, in this world

• ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) - killing of a brahmin, the sin of brahminicide

• विधीयते (vidhīyate) - is ordained, is performed, is done, is enacted

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steadfast in battle (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Compound type : Aluk-Tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle, in fight
  noun (feminine)
  Locative case of 'yudh' (battle)
  Root: yudh (class 4)
• sthira – firm, steady, steadfast
  adjective
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active

3rd person singular, perfect tense, active voice.

Root: vac (class 2)

इदम् (idam) - this, this (matter)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Object of 'vaktum'.

मे (me) - to me, for me

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Here, dative sense: "to me".

तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - truly, in truth, in reality, essentially

(indeclinable)

Avyayībhāva suffix 'tas'. From 'tattva'.

Note: Modifies 'vaktum arhasi'.

राजन् (rājan) - O King

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Root: rāj (class 1)

Note: Addressing Bhīṣma.

वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to tell

(verb)

active, infinitive of vac

Infinitive

Formed with suffix 'tum'.

Root: vac (class 2)

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

(verb)

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

Present active

2nd person singular, present tense, active voice.

Root: arh (class 1)

भारत (bhārata) - O descendant of Bharata, O Bhārata

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhārata

bhārata - descendant of Bharata, an Indian, a warrior

Root: bhṛ (class 1)

अहिंसयित्वा (ahiṁsayitvā) - without harming, without violence

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Formed from root 'hiṃs' (to harm) with causative 'ay' and negative prefix 'a', then suffix 'tvā'.

Compound type : Neg. Tatpuruṣa (a+hiṃs)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• hiṃsayitvā – having harmed, by harming
  indeclinable
  Absolutive (gerund)
  Causative of root 'hiṃs' + 'tvā'.
  Root: hiṃs (class 10)

केन (kena) - by what, by whom, by what means

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine/neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who

Note: Refers to the agent or means by which the act is done.

इह (iha) - here, in this world

(indeclinable)

ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) - killing of a brahmin, the sin of brahminicide

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of brahmahatyā

brahmahatyā - brahminicide, the killing of a brahmin

From 'brahman' (brahmin) and 'hatyā' (killing).

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (brahman+hatyā)

• brahman – brahmin (member of the priestly class), the Absolute (brahman)
  noun (masculine/neuter)
  Root: bṛh (class 1)
• hatyā – killing, murder
  noun (feminine)
  From root 'han' (to strike, kill).
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: Subject of 'vidhīyate'.

विधीयते (vidhīyate) - is ordained, is performed, is done, is enacted

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of vidhā

Present passive

3rd person singular, present tense, passive voice, from root 'dhā' with prefix 'vi'.

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)