महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-48, verse-18

प्रतिलोमं तु वर्तन्तो बाह्याद्बाह्यतरं पुनः ।
हीना हीनात्प्रसूयन्ते वर्णाः पञ्चदशैव ते ॥१८॥

18. pratilomaṁ tu vartanto bāhyādbāhyataraṁ punaḥ ,
hīnā hīnātprasūyante varṇāḥ pañcadaśaiva te.

18. pratilomam tu vartantaḥ bāhyāt bāhyataram punaḥ
hīnāḥ hīnāt prasūyante varṇāḥ pañcadaśa eva te

18. tu pratilomam vartantaḥ,
bāhyāt punaḥ bāhyataram prasūyante.
hīnāt hīnāḥ te pañcadaśa eva varṇāḥ prasūyante.

18. However, when proceeding in the reverse order (pratiloma), from those already external, even more external progeny are again produced. Thus, from one inferior to another, these fifteen classes (varṇa) are indeed born.

Words meanings summery:

• प्रतिलोमम् (pratilomam) - referring to unions in the reverse order of varṇa hierarchy (in reverse order, against the natural order, inverted)

• तु (tu) - but, however, indeed

• वर्तन्तः (vartantaḥ) - by acting or proceeding (acting, proceeding, existing, intermixing)

• बाह्यात् (bāhyāt) - from an external one, from an outcast

• बाह्यतरम् (bāhyataram) - an even more external offspring (an even more external one, more outcast)

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, further, moreover

• हीनाः (hīnāḥ) - inferior, low, degraded ones

• हीनात् (hīnāt) - from an inferior one, from a low one

• प्रसूयन्ते (prasūyante) - are born, are produced

• वर्णाः (varṇāḥ) - social classes or castes (varṇa) (classes, social orders, castes)

• पञ्चदश (pañcadaśa) - fifteen

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• ते (te) - those (fifteen classes) (those)

Words meanings and morphology

प्रतिलोमम् (pratilomam) - referring to unions in the reverse order of varṇa hierarchy (in reverse order, against the natural order, inverted)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverbial use.

तु (tu) - but, however, indeed

(indeclinable)

वर्तन्तः (vartantaḥ) - by acting or proceeding (acting, proceeding, existing, intermixing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vartamāna

vartamāna - being, existing, present, moving, acting

Present Active Participle

Derived from root 'vṛt' with the present participle suffix '-māna'.

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Present active participle, modifying an implied 'they'.

बाह्यात् (bāhyāt) - from an external one, from an outcast

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of bāhya

bāhya - external, outer, foreign, excluded, outcast

Note: Used here substantively, 'from an external one'.

बाह्यतरम् (bāhyataram) - an even more external offspring (an even more external one, more outcast)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of bāhyatara

bāhyatara - more external, more outcast (comparative of bāhya)

Comparative form of 'bāhya'.

Note: Used here as a noun, referring to an 'even more external' offspring.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, further, moreover

(indeclinable)

हीनाः (hīnāḥ) - inferior, low, degraded ones

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of hīna

hīna - left, abandoned, deficient, wanting, low, inferior, base, vile, degraded

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'hā' (to abandon, to leave).

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Used here as a noun, 'inferior ones'.

हीनात् (hīnāt) - from an inferior one, from a low one

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of hīna

hīna - left, abandoned, deficient, wanting, low, inferior, base, vile, degraded

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'hā' (to abandon, to leave).

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Used here substantively, 'from an inferior one'.

प्रसूयन्ते (prasūyante) - are born, are produced

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of prasū

Prefix: pra

Root: sū (class 2)

वर्णाः (varṇāḥ) - social classes or castes (varṇa) (classes, social orders, castes)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of varṇa

varṇa - color, tint, appearance, external show, species, kind, quality, a class or division of men, caste

Root: vṛ (class 5)

पञ्चदश (pañcadaśa) - fifteen

(adjective)

Nominative, plural of pañcadaśa

pañcadaśa - fifteen

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - those (fifteen classes) (those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it