महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-49, verse-12

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
क्षेत्रजं केचिदेवाहुः सुतं केचित्तु शुक्रजम् ।
तुल्यावेतौ सुतौ कस्य तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१२॥

12. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kṣetrajaṁ kecidevāhuḥ sutaṁ kecittu śukrajam ,
tulyāvetau sutau kasya tanme brūhi pitāmaha.

12. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kṣetrajām kecit eva āhuḥ sutam kecit tu
śukrajam tulyau etau sutau kasya tat me brūhi pitāmaha

12. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kecit kṣetrajām sutam eva āhuḥ kecit tu
śukrajam pitāmaha kasya etau tulyau sutau tat me brūhi

12. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'Some indeed declare a son to be 'kṣetraja' (born from the wife's womb), while others say he is 'śukraja' (born from the husband's semen). To whom do these two types of sons belong as equals? Please tell me that, O grandfather.'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• क्षेत्रजाम् (kṣetrajām) - a son born from the wife (through levirate or Niyoga) (born from the field, born from the wife)

• केचित् (kecit) - some, some people

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly (indeed, only, just)

• आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say, they declare

• सुतम् (sutam) - a son

• केचित् (kecit) - some, some people

• तु (tu) - whereas (but, however, on the other hand)

• शुक्रजम् (śukrajam) - a son born from the husband's semen (born from semen)

• तुल्यौ (tulyau) - equal in status or right (equal, similar)

• एतौ (etau) - these two

• सुतौ (sutau) - these two types of sons (two sons)

• कस्य (kasya) - whose, of whom

• तत् (tat) - that

• मे (me) - to me, for me

• ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, speak

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O Bhīṣma (O grandfather)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

Compound of 'yudhi' (in battle) and 'sthira' (steady)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  indeclinable
  Locative case of yudh (battle)
• sthira – steady, firm, stable
  adjective (masculine)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Irregular perfect form from root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

क्षेत्रजाम् (kṣetrajām) - a son born from the wife (through levirate or Niyoga) (born from the field, born from the wife)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kṣetraja

kṣetraja - born in the field, born from the wife (with a designated kinsman)

Compound of 'kṣetra' (field, wife) and 'ja' (born)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kṣetra+ja)

• kṣetra – field, land, wife, womb
  noun (neuter)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective
  Derived from root jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)

केचित् (kecit) - some, some people

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kaścid

kaścid - someone, some, a certain one

Formed from kim + cid

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly (indeed, only, just)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say, they declare

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of vac

Present tense, 3rd person plural (irregular)

Irregular present form from root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

सुतम् (sutam) - a son

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of suta

suta - son, child

Past Passive Participle (from sū) but generally used as a noun.

From root sū (to bear, to bring forth)

Root: sū (class 2)

केचित् (kecit) - some, some people

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kaścid

kaścid - someone, some, a certain one

Formed from kim + cid

तु (tu) - whereas (but, however, on the other hand)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction

शुक्रजम् (śukrajam) - a son born from the husband's semen (born from semen)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śukraja

śukraja - born from semen

Compound of 'śukra' (semen) and 'ja' (born)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śukra+ja)

• śukra – semen, bright, pure
  noun (neuter)
• ja – born, produced from
  adjective
  Derived from root jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)

तुल्यौ (tulyau) - equal in status or right (equal, similar)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tulya

tulya - equal, similar, comparable

From 'tulā' (balance)

एतौ (etau) - these two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of etad

etad - this

सुतौ (sutau) - these two types of sons (two sons)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of suta

suta - son, child

From root sū (to bear, to bring forth)

Root: sū (class 2)

कस्य (kasya) - whose, of whom

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Genitive singular of 'kim'

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Accusative singular neuter of 'tad'

मे (me) - to me, for me

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of aham

aham - I

Dative/Genitive singular of 'aham' (enclitic form)

ब्रूहि (brūhi) - tell, speak

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of brū

Imperative mood, 2nd person singular

Irregular imperative form of 'brū'

Root: brū (class 2)

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O Bhīṣma (O grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - grandfather (father's father), great father

Compound of 'pitṛ' (father) and 'maha' (great)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pitṛ+maha)

• pitṛ – father
  noun (masculine)
• maha – great, large
  adjective