महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-60, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
दानं यज्ञक्रिया चेह किं स्वित्प्रेत्य महाफलम् ।
कस्य ज्यायः फलं प्रोक्तं कीदृशेभ्यः कथं कदा ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
dānaṁ yajñakriyā ceha kiṁ svitpretya mahāphalam ,
kasya jyāyaḥ phalaṁ proktaṁ kīdṛśebhyaḥ kathaṁ kadā.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca dānam yajñakriyā
ca iha kim svit pretya
mahāphalam kasya jyāyaḥ phalam
proktam kīdṛśebhyaḥ katham kadā

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca iha dānam ca
yajñakriyā kim svit pretya
mahāphalam kasya jyāyaḥ phalam
proktam kīdṛśebhyaḥ katham kadā

1. Yudhishthira said: What, indeed, among giving (dāna) and the performance of Vedic rituals, yields great results after death? Of which is a superior fruit declared? And to what kind of people, how, and when (should it be done)?

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• दानम् (dānam) - giving, charity, gift

• यज्ञक्रिया (yajñakriyā) - performance of Vedic ritual, sacrificial act

• च (ca) - and, also

• इह (iha) - in this world (here, in this world, at this time)

• किम् (kim) - what?, which?

• स्वित् (svit) - indeed, perhaps (interrogative particle)

• प्रेत्य (pretya) - having died, after death, in the next world

• महाफलम् (mahāphalam) - yielding great fruit, great reward

• कस्य (kasya) - of which, whose

• ज्यायः (jyāyaḥ) - greater, superior, better

• फलम् (phalam) - fruit, result, reward

• प्रोक्तम् (proktam) - declared, stated, taught

• कीदृशेभ्यः (kīdṛśebhyaḥ) - to what kind of (people/beings)

• कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

• कदा (kadā) - when?

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhishthira (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (steadfast in battle), eldest of the Pandavas

Compound: yudhi (in battle) + sthira (firm, steady)

Compound type : aluk-tatpurusha (yudh+sthira)

• yudh – battle, war
  noun (feminine)
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)
  From root sthā (to stand)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Tense, 3rd Person Singular

Irregular perfect form of vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

दानम् (dānam) - giving, charity, gift

(noun)

neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - giving, charity, gift, donation

From root dā (to give).

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Acts as a subject in the question.

यज्ञक्रिया (yajñakriyā) - performance of Vedic ritual, sacrificial act

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yajñakriyā

yajñakriyā - performance of Vedic ritual, sacrificial act

Compound type : tatpurusha (yajña+kriyā)

• yajña – Vedic ritual, sacrifice
  noun (masculine)
  Root: yaj (class 1)
• kriyā – action, act, performance, ritual
  noun (feminine)
  From root kṛ (to do, make)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Acts as a subject in the question.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

इह (iha) - in this world (here, in this world, at this time)

(indeclinable)

किम् (kim) - what?, which?

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, which?

Note: Refers to dānam or yajñakriyā, implying 'which one of these'.

स्वित् (svit) - indeed, perhaps (interrogative particle)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the question.

प्रेत्य (pretya) - having died, after death, in the next world

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

From root i (to go) with prefix pra- and suffix -tvā (or -ya for prefixed verbs).

Prefix: pra

Root: i (class 2)

महाफलम् (mahāphalam) - yielding great fruit, great reward

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mahāphala

mahāphala - yielding great fruit, great reward

Compound type : bahuvrihi (mahā+phala)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective (feminine)
• phala – fruit, result, reward
  noun (neuter)

कस्य (kasya) - of which, whose

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Refers to dānam or yajñakriyā.

ज्यायः (jyāyaḥ) - greater, superior, better

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jyāyas

jyāyas - greater, superior, better, older

Comparative form of praśasya/vṛddha.

Note: Qualifies phalam.

फलम् (phalam) - fruit, result, reward

(noun)

neuter, singular of phala

phala - fruit, result, reward, consequence

Note: Subject of proktam.

प्रोक्तम् (proktam) - declared, stated, taught

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of prokta

prokta - declared, stated, taught, spoken

Past Passive Participle

From root vac (to speak) with prefix pra- (irregular form).

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Agrees with phalam.

कीदृशेभ्यः (kīdṛśebhyaḥ) - to what kind of (people/beings)

(adjective)

Dative, masculine, plural of kīdṛśa

kīdṛśa - of what kind, of what nature

From pronoun kim (what) and dṛś (like, appearing).

कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Note: An interrogative adverb.

कदा (kadā) - when?

(indeclinable)

Note: An interrogative adverb.