महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-48, verse-15

यथा चतुर्षु वर्णेषु द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते ।
आनन्तर्यात्तु जायन्ते तथा बाह्याः प्रधानतः ॥१५॥

15. yathā caturṣu varṇeṣu dvayorātmāsya jāyate ,
ānantaryāttu jāyante tathā bāhyāḥ pradhānataḥ.

15. yathā caturṣu varṇeṣu dvayoḥ ātmā asya jāyate
ānantaryāt tu jāyante tathā bāhyāḥ pradhānataḥ

15. yathā caturṣu varṇeṣu dvayoḥ asya ātmā jāyate
tathā tu bāhyāḥ pradhānataḥ ānantaryāt jāyante

15. Just as among the four social classes (varṇas), the essential nature (ātman) of a child is born from its two parents, so too, the external (bāhya) castes are primarily born from direct inter-caste unions.

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in which manner

• चतुर्षु (caturṣu) - in the four

• वर्णेषु (varṇeṣu) - in the four traditional social classes (in the castes/classes)

• द्वयोः (dvayoḥ) - refers to the two parents (of the two)

• आत्मा (ātmā) - the essential nature or identity (self, soul, essence, nature)

• अस्य (asya) - refers to the offspring (implicitly) (of this, its)

• जायते (jāyate) - is born, comes into being

• आनन्तर्यात् (ānantaryāt) - refers to direct inter-caste unions, as opposed to unions between already mixed castes (due to immediate succession, by direct connection, without interval)

• तु (tu) - but, and, indeed

• जायन्ते (jāyante) - they are born, they come into being

• तथा (tathā) - corresponds to yathā (similarly, so, thus)

• बाह्याः (bāhyāḥ) - castes considered outside the four principal varṇas, i.e., mixed castes or outcastes (external, outside, outcastes)

• प्रधानतः (pradhānataḥ) - primarily, chiefly, mainly, pre-eminently

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in which manner

(indeclinable)

चतुर्षु (caturṣu) - in the four

(numeral)

Note: Qualifies varṇeṣu.

वर्णेषु (varṇeṣu) - in the four traditional social classes (in the castes/classes)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of varṇa

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

Root: vṛ (class 9)

Note: Refers to the Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, and Śūdra classes.

द्वयोः (dvayoḥ) - refers to the two parents (of the two)

(numeral)

आत्मा (ātmā) - the essential nature or identity (self, soul, essence, nature)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, essence, vital breath, mind, spirit

Note: Refers to the inherited characteristics or identity of the offspring.

अस्य (asya) - refers to the offspring (implicitly) (of this, its)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

जायते (jāyate) - is born, comes into being

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (lat) of jan

present tense, middle voice

root jan (4th class, Ātmanepada), present indicative, 3rd person singular

Root: jan (class 4)

आनन्तर्यात् (ānantaryāt) - refers to direct inter-caste unions, as opposed to unions between already mixed castes (due to immediate succession, by direct connection, without interval)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of ānantarya

ānantarya - immediacy, direct succession, contiguity, immediate proximity

derived from anantara 'without interval'

तु (tu) - but, and, indeed

(indeclinable)

जायन्ते (jāyante) - they are born, they come into being

(verb)

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

present tense, middle voice

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

Root: jan (class 4)

तथा (tathā) - corresponds to yathā (similarly, so, thus)

(indeclinable)

बाह्याः (bāhyāḥ) - castes considered outside the four principal varṇas, i.e., mixed castes or outcastes (external, outside, outcastes)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bāhya

bāhya - external, outside, foreign; an outcaste, an excluded person

derived from bahis 'outside'

Note: Refers to the numerous mixed castes.

प्रधानतः (pradhānataḥ) - primarily, chiefly, mainly, pre-eminently

(indeclinable)

suffix -tas (from pradhāna)