महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-3, verse-17

किमेतदिति तत्त्वेन प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ ।
देहान्तरमनासाद्य कथं स ब्राह्मणोऽभवत् ॥१७॥

17. kimetaditi tattvena prabrūhi bharatarṣabha ,
dehāntaramanāsādya kathaṁ sa brāhmaṇo'bhavat.

17. kim etat iti tattvena prabrūhi bharatarṣabha
dehāntaram anāsādya katham saḥ brāhmaṇaḥ abhavat

17. bharatarṣabha etat kim iti tattvena prabrūhi
saḥ dehāntaram anāsādya katham brāhmaṇaḥ abhavat

17. O best of Bharatas, please explain this matter clearly: How did he become a brahmin without acquiring another body?

Words meanings summery:

• किम् (kim) - what (is this) (what, why, whether)

• एतत् (etat) - this (matter) (this)

• इति (iti) - (marks the end of the question 'what is this?') (thus, so (quotative particle))

• तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - thoroughly, clearly (in reality, truly, thoroughly, essentially)

• प्रब्रूहि (prabrūhi) - please explain (tell, explain)

• भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O best of Bharatas (addressing an interlocutor, likely Yudhishthira or Dhritarashtra in context of Mahabharata) (O best of Bharatas)

• देहान्तरम् (dehāntaram) - another body (another body, a different body)

• अनासाद्य (anāsādya) - without acquiring (without obtaining, without reaching)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

• सः (saḥ) - he (the person in question) (he, that)

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brahmin (member of the priestly class) (a brahmin, a priest)

• अभवत् (abhavat) - became (became, existed, happened)

Words meanings and morphology

किम् (kim) - what (is this) (what, why, whether)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who, why, how

Interrogative pronoun, neuter singular nominative/accusative.

एतत् (etat) - this (matter) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etas

etas - this, these (proximal demonstrative)

Demonstrative pronoun, neuter singular nominative.

इति (iti) - (marks the end of the question 'what is this?') (thus, so (quotative particle))

(indeclinable)

तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - thoroughly, clearly (in reality, truly, thoroughly, essentially)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - reality, truth, essence, principle, element

From tad (that) + tva (suffix for abstract noun).

Note: Adverbial use, meaning 'by means of truth/essence'.

प्रब्रूहि (prabrūhi) - please explain (tell, explain)

(verb)

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

Imperative active 2nd singular

From root brū (to speak) with prefix pra. Loṭ La-kāra, 2nd person, singular, active voice.

Prefix: pra

Root: brū (class 2)

भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O best of Bharatas (addressing an interlocutor, likely Yudhishthira or Dhritarashtra in context of Mahabharata) (O best of Bharatas)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bharatarṣabha

bharatarṣabha - bull among the Bharatas, best of the Bharatas

Tatpuruṣa compound: bharata (descendant of Bharata) + ṛṣabha (bull, best).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bharata+ṛṣabha)

• bharata – a descendant of Bharata, a king
  proper noun (masculine)
• ṛṣabha – bull, best, excellent
  noun (masculine)

देहान्तरम् (dehāntaram) - another body (another body, a different body)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of dehāntara

dehāntara - another body, a different body

Tatpuruṣa compound: deha (body) + antara (other).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (deha+antara)

• deha – body, form, shape
  noun (masculine)
• antara – other, different, interval, interior
  adjective (neuter)

Note: Object of anāsādya.

अनासाद्य (anāsādya) - without acquiring (without obtaining, without reaching)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

From ā-sad (to approach, to obtain) with lyap suffix. an is a negative prefix.

Compound type : avyayībhāva (an+āsādya)

• an – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• āsādya – having obtained, having reached
  indeclinable
  Absolutive (gerund)
  From ā-sad (to approach, to obtain) with lyap suffix.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: sad (class 1)

Note: Negates the action of obtaining a body.

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb.

सः (saḥ) - he (the person in question) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular nominative.

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brahmin (member of the priestly class) (a brahmin, a priest)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a brahmin (member of the priestly class), pertaining to Brahman or the Vedas

Derived from brahman.

अभवत् (abhavat) - became (became, existed, happened)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of bhū

Imperfect active 3rd singular

Laṅ La-kāra, 3rd person, singular, active voice.

Root: bhū (class 1)