महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-48, verse-14

एतेऽपि सदृशं वर्णं जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु ।
मातृजात्यां प्रसूयन्ते प्रवरा हीनयोनिषु ॥१४॥

14. ete'pi sadṛśaṁ varṇaṁ janayanti svayoniṣu ,
mātṛjātyāṁ prasūyante pravarā hīnayoniṣu.

14. ete api sadṛśam varṇam janayanti svayoniṣu
mātṛjātyām prasūyante pravarāḥ hīnayoniṣu

14. ete api svayoniṣu sadṛśam varṇam janayanti
hīnayoniṣu pravarāḥ mātṛjātyām prasūyante

14. These (mixed castes) also produce offspring of a similar caste within their own unions. Among lower origins (wombs), the superior (offspring of higher fathers) are born as belonging to the mother's caste.

Words meanings summery:

• एते (ete) - refers to the mixed castes mentioned in previous verses (these)

• अपि (api) - also, even

• सदृशम् (sadṛśam) - similar, like, of the same kind

• वर्णम् (varṇam) - caste (social class) (caste, class, color, kind)

• जनयन्ति (janayanti) - they generate, they produce, they give birth to

• स्वयोनिषु (svayoniṣu) - refers to intermarriage within the same mixed caste (in their own wombs/origins, among their own kind)

• मातृजात्याम् (mātṛjātyām) - refers to the caste of the mother for classification of offspring (in the mother's caste/class)

• प्रसूयन्ते (prasūyante) - they are born, they are produced

• प्रवराः (pravarāḥ) - the offspring born from an anuloma union (higher caste father, lower caste mother), considered 'superior' to pratiloma offspring (the best, the excellent, the higher ones)

• हीनयोनिषु (hīnayoniṣu) - refers to mothers of lower caste than the father (in inferior origins/wombs, among lower castes)

Words meanings and morphology

एते (ete) - refers to the mixed castes mentioned in previous verses (these)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

अपि (api) - also, even

(indeclinable)

सदृशम् (sadṛśam) - similar, like, of the same kind

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sadṛśa

sadṛśa - similar, resembling, like, of the same kind

Prefix: sa

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Qualifies varṇam.

वर्णम् (varṇam) - caste (social class) (caste, class, color, kind)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of varṇa

varṇa - caste, social class; color; kind, species; letter, sound

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Refers to the social class of the offspring.

जनयन्ति (janayanti) - they generate, they produce, they give birth to

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of jan

present tense, active voice (causative)

root jan (4th class, Parasmaipada, causative), present indicative, 3rd person plural

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Causative form of 'to be born'.

स्वयोनिषु (svayoniṣu) - refers to intermarriage within the same mixed caste (in their own wombs/origins, among their own kind)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of svayoni

svayoni - own womb, own origin, own class/caste

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+yoni)

• sva – own, one's own
  pronoun (masculine)
• yoni – womb, origin, source, race, family, caste
  noun (feminine)

मातृजात्याम् (mātṛjātyām) - refers to the caste of the mother for classification of offspring (in the mother's caste/class)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of mātṛjāti

mātṛjāti - mother's caste, class of the mother

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mātṛ+jāti)

• mātṛ – mother
  noun (feminine)
• jāti – birth, family, race, caste
  noun (feminine)

प्रसूयन्ते (prasūyante) - they are born, they are produced

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (lat) of sū

present tense, middle/passive voice

prefix pra- + root sū (2nd/5th class, Ātmanepada), present indicative, 3rd person plural

Prefix: pra

Root: sū (class 2)

Note: Passive sense.

प्रवराः (pravarāḥ) - the offspring born from an anuloma union (higher caste father, lower caste mother), considered 'superior' to pratiloma offspring (the best, the excellent, the higher ones)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pravara

pravara - chief, principal, excellent, best, superior; a progenitor, ancestor

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛ (class 9)

हीनयोनिषु (hīnayoniṣu) - refers to mothers of lower caste than the father (in inferior origins/wombs, among lower castes)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of hīnayoni

hīnayoni - inferior womb, lower origin or caste

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (hīna+yoni)

• hīna – inferior, low, deficient, abandoned
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  root hā- 'to abandon, quit'
  Root: hā (class 3)
• yoni – womb, origin, source, race, family, caste
  noun (feminine)