महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-36, verse-12

दृष्ट्वा च ब्राह्मणानां तु महिमानं महात्मनाम् ।
पर्यपृच्छत्कथमिमे सिद्धा इति निशाकरम् ॥१२॥

12. dṛṣṭvā ca brāhmaṇānāṁ tu mahimānaṁ mahātmanām ,
paryapṛcchatkathamime siddhā iti niśākaram.

12. dṛṣṭvā ca brāhmaṇānām tu mahimānam mahātmanām
paryapṛcchat katham ime siddhāḥ iti niśākaram

12. ca dṛṣṭvā tu brāhmaṇānām mahātmanām mahimānam
(saḥ) niśākaram paryapṛcchat iti katham ime siddhāḥ

12. And having witnessed the greatness of those brahmins (brāhmaṇa) who are great souls (mahātman), he then asked the moon (niśākara), "How did these (people) achieve perfection?"

Words meanings summery:

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - having seen, having witnessed

• च (ca) - and, also

• ब्राह्मणानाम् (brāhmaṇānām) - of brahmins

• तु (tu) - then, indeed (but, indeed, however)

• महिमानम् (mahimānam) - greatness, glory, majesty

• महात्मनाम् (mahātmanām) - of great souls, of magnanimous ones

• पर्यपृच्छत् (paryapṛcchat) - he asked, inquired

• कथम् (katham) - how?

• इमे (ime) - refers to the brahmins (these)

• सिद्धाः (siddhāḥ) - achieved perfection (perfected, accomplished, successful)

• इति (iti) - marks the end of a quote or thought (thus, so)

• निशाकरम् (niśākaram) - the moon (Chandra, Soma)

Words meanings and morphology

दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - having seen, having witnessed

(indeclinable)

absolutive

gerund from root dṛś (to see)

Root: dṛś (class 1)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

ब्राह्मणानाम् (brāhmaṇānām) - of brahmins

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - brahmin, priestly class

तु (tu) - then, indeed (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

महिमानम् (mahimānam) - greatness, glory, majesty

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mahiman

mahiman - greatness, majesty, glory, power

महात्मनाम् (mahātmanām) - of great souls, of magnanimous ones

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, magnanimous, noble

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahat+ātman)

• mahat – great, large, vast
  adjective (neuter)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature
  noun (masculine)

Note: Adjective modifying 'brāhmaṇānām'.

पर्यपृच्छत् (paryapṛcchat) - he asked, inquired

(verb)

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

imperfect indicative

root prach (class 6P) with prefixes pari and pra

Prefixes: pari+pra

Root: prach (class 6)

कथम् (katham) - how?

(indeclinable)

इमे (ime) - refers to the brahmins (these)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of idam

idam - this, these

सिद्धाः (siddhāḥ) - achieved perfection (perfected, accomplished, successful)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of siddha

siddha - perfected, accomplished, successful, proven

Past Passive Participle

derived from root sidh (to succeed, be accomplished)

Root: sidh (class 4)

इति (iti) - marks the end of a quote or thought (thus, so)

(indeclinable)

निशाकरम् (niśākaram) - the moon (Chandra, Soma)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of niśākara

niśākara - moon (lit. 'night-maker')

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (niśā+kara)

• niśā – night
  noun (feminine)
• kara – maker, doing
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun from root kṛ (to do, make)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)