महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-48, verse-38

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
वर्णापेतमविज्ञातं नरं कलुषयोनिजम् ।
आर्यरूपमिवानार्यं कथं विद्यामहे नृप ॥३८॥

38. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
varṇāpetamavijñātaṁ naraṁ kaluṣayonijam ,
āryarūpamivānāryaṁ kathaṁ vidyāmahe nṛpa.

38. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca varṇāpetam avijñātam naram
kaluṣayonijam āryarūpam iva anāryam katham vidyāmahe nṛpa

38. nṛpa yudhiṣṭhira uvāca katham varṇāpetam avijñātam
kaluṣayonijam āryarūpam iva anāryam naram vidyāmahe

38. Yudhishthira said: "O king, how are we to recognize a man who has lost his social standing, is unidentifiable, of defiled origin, and who, despite appearing noble, is actually ignoble?"

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• वर्णापेतम् (varṇāpetam) - devoid of social standing, having lost one's `varṇa`

• अविज्ञातम् (avijñātam) - unknown, unrecognized, unidentifiable

• नरम् (naram) - man, human being

• कलुषयोनिजम् (kaluṣayonijam) - of impure birth, born from a defiled womb/origin

• आर्यरूपम् (āryarūpam) - appearing like an Ārya, having the form of a noble one

• इव (iva) - like, as if, similar to

• अनार्यम् (anāryam) - ignoble, non-Ārya

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• विद्यामहे (vidyāmahe) - we shall know, we might know, we are to recognize

• नृप (nṛpa) - O king

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (eldest of the Pāṇḍavas, known for his steadfastness in battle)

Compound 'yudhi-sthira' meaning 'steady in battle'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Perfect Indicative

3rd person singular active voice. From root √vac.

Root: √vac (class 2)

वर्णापेतम् (varṇāpetam) - devoid of social standing, having lost one's `varṇa`

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of varṇāpeta

varṇāpeta - deprived of social class/color, fallen from social order, of unknown class

Compound of `varṇa` (social class) and `apeta` (gone away from, separated).

Compound type : pañcamī tatpuruṣa (varṇa+apeta)

• varṇa – color, caste, social class, quality, letter
  noun (masculine)
• apeta – gone away, separated from, deprived of
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From `apa` (away) + √i (to go).
  Prefix: apa
  Root: √i (class 2)

Note: Agrees with `naram`.

अविज्ञातम् (avijñātam) - unknown, unrecognized, unidentifiable

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of avijñāta

avijñāta - unknown, not recognized, not ascertained

Past Passive Participle (negative)

From `a-` (not) + `vi-√jñā` (to know, perceive).

Prefixes: a+vi

Root: √jñā (class 9)

Note: Agrees with `naram`.

नरम् (naram) - man, human being

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, human being, person

Note: Object of `vidyāmahe`.

कलुषयोनिजम् (kaluṣayonijam) - of impure birth, born from a defiled womb/origin

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kaluṣayonija

kaluṣayonija - born from a defiled womb/origin, of impure birth/lineage

Compound from `kaluṣa` (impure) + `yoni` (womb, origin) + `ja` (born from).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kaluṣa+yoni+ja)

• kaluṣa – impure, dirty, defiled, dark
  adjective (neuter)
• yoni – womb, origin, source, birthplace
  noun (feminine)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix from √jan (to be born).
  Root: √jan (class 4)

Note: Agrees with `naram`.

आर्यरूपम् (āryarūpam) - appearing like an Ārya, having the form of a noble one

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of āryarūpa

āryarūpa - of noble appearance, having the form of an Ārya

Compound from `ārya` (noble) + `rūpa` (form, appearance).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (ārya+rūpa)

• ārya – noble, honorable, respectable; a noble man
  adjective (masculine)
• rūpa – form, shape, appearance, beauty
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with `naram`.

इव (iva) - like, as if, similar to

(indeclinable)

अनार्यम् (anāryam) - ignoble, non-Ārya

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of anārya

anārya - not noble, ignoble, common, unworthy

From `an-` (not) + `ārya` (noble).

Note: Agrees with `naram`.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

विद्यामहे (vidyāmahe) - we shall know, we might know, we are to recognize

(verb)

1st person , plural, middle, optative (liṅ) of vid

Optative/Potential Mood

1st person plural middle voice. From root √vid, 2nd class.

Root: √vid (class 2)

नृप (nṛpa) - O king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, ruler, protector of men

From `nṛ` (man) + √pā (to protect).