महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-25, verse-3

चतुर्थस्त्वं वसिष्ठस्य तत्त्वमाख्याहि मे मुने ।
अहिंसयित्वा केनेह ब्रह्महत्या विधीयते ॥३॥

3. caturthastvaṁ vasiṣṭhasya tattvamākhyāhi me mune ,
ahiṁsayitvā keneha brahmahatyā vidhīyate.

3. caturthaḥ tvam vasiṣṭhasya tattvam ākhyāhi me
mune ahiṃsayitvā kena iha brahmahatyā vidhīyate

3. mune tvam vasiṣṭhasya caturthaḥ me tattvam
ākhyāhi iha kena ahiṃsayitvā brahmahatyā vidhīyate

3. O sage, you are the fourth in the lineage of Vasiṣṭha; explain the truth to me. How can the grave sin of killing a brahmin (brahmahatyā) be incurred here without actually committing violence?

Words meanings summery:

• चतुर्थः (caturthaḥ) - fourth; the fourth one

• त्वम् (tvam) - you

• वसिष्ठस्य (vasiṣṭhasya) - of Vasiṣṭha

• तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - truth; reality; essence

• आख्याहि (ākhyāhi) - explain; tell; declare

• मे (me) - to me; for me

• मुने (mune) - O (muni) sage (O sage; O ascetic)

• अहिंसयित्वा (ahiṁsayitvā) - without harming; without causing injury; without killing

• केन (kena) - by whom; by what

• इह (iha) - here; in this world; in this matter

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

• विधीयते (vidhīyate) - is performed; is ordained; is incurred; is committed

Words meanings and morphology

चतुर्थः (caturthaḥ) - fourth; the fourth one

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of caturtha

caturtha - fourth; the fourth (in a series); a fourth part

Derived from 'catur' (four) with suffix 'tha'.

त्वम् (tvam) - you

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

वसिष्ठस्य (vasiṣṭhasya) - of Vasiṣṭha

(proper noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of vasiṣṭha

vasiṣṭha - Vasiṣṭha (name of a celebrated Vedic sage, one of the Saptarṣis)

तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - truth; reality; essence

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - truth; reality; essence; principle; true state or condition

From 'tat' (that) and 'tva' (abstract suffix).

आख्याहि (ākhyāhi) - explain; tell; declare

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of ākhyā

Imperative, 2nd person singular, active voice.

Prefix: ā

Root: khyā (class 2)

मे (me) - to me; for me

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

Note: Can also be genitive, but here functions as dative 'to me'.

मुने (mune) - O (muni) sage (O sage; O ascetic)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of muni

muni - a sage; an ascetic; a holy person

अहिंसयित्वा (ahiṁsayitvā) - without harming; without causing injury; without killing

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund) of causative stem

Formed from the causative stem of root 'hiṃs' (to harm), with 'a-' for negation, and '-itvā' absolutive suffix.

Prefix: a

Root: hiṃs (class 7)

केन (kena) - by whom; by what

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

इह (iha) - here; in this world; in this matter

(indeclinable)

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

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of brahmahatyā

brahmahatyā - brahminicide; the murder of a brahmin; the grave sin of killing a brahmin

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+hatyā)

• brahman – a brahmin; a member of the priestly class
  noun (masculine)
• hatyā – killing; murder
  noun (feminine)
  From root 'han' (to kill) with suffix 'tyā'.
  Root: han (class 2)

विधीयते (vidhīyate) - is performed; is ordained; is incurred; is committed

(verb)

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

Present tense, 3rd person singular, passive voice.

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)