महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-72, verse-40

बलान्विताः शीलवयोपपन्नाः सर्वाः प्रशंसन्ति सुगन्धवत्यः ।
यथा हि गङ्गा सरितां वरिष्ठा तथार्जुनीनां कपिला वरिष्ठा ॥४०॥

40. balānvitāḥ śīlavayopapannāḥ; sarvāḥ praśaṁsanti sugandhavatyaḥ ,
yathā hi gaṅgā saritāṁ variṣṭhā; tathārjunīnāṁ kapilā variṣṭhā.

40. balānvitāḥ śīlavayopapannāḥ sarvāḥ
praśaṃsanti sugandhavatyaḥ
yathā hi gaṅgā saritām variṣṭhā
tathā arjunīnām kapilā variṣṭhā

40. sarvāḥ balānvitāḥ śīlavayopapannāḥ
sugandhavatyaḥ praśaṃsanti
hi yathā gaṅgā saritām variṣṭhā
tathā arjunīnām kapilā variṣṭhā

40. Cows endowed with strength, good disposition and appropriate age, and those that are fragrant, are all praised. Indeed, just as the Ganga is the foremost among rivers, so too, among white cows, the (kapila) (tawny/brown) cow is considered the best.

Words meanings summery:

• बलान्विताः (balānvitāḥ) - endowed with strength (endowed with strength, strong)

• शीलवयोपपन्नाः (śīlavayopapannāḥ) - endowed with good disposition and appropriate age (endowed with good character and age)

• सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all (cows) (all, whole)

• प्रशंसन्ति (praśaṁsanti) - are praised (by people) (they praise, they commend)

• सुगन्धवत्यः (sugandhavatyaḥ) - those that are fragrant (possessing good fragrance, fragrant)

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

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, for, because)

• गङ्गा (gaṅgā) - the Ganga river (the river Ganga)

• सरिताम् (saritām) - among rivers

• वरिष्ठा (variṣṭhā) - is the foremost/best (best, most excellent, most eminent)

• तथा (tathā) - so too, similarly (so, thus, similarly)

• अर्जुनीनाम् (arjunīnām) - among white cows (among white cows, among Arjuna-like)

• कपिला (kapilā) - the (kapila) (tawny/brown) cow (brown, tawny, a brown cow)

• वरिष्ठा (variṣṭhā) - is the best (best, most excellent, most eminent)

Words meanings and morphology

बलान्विताः (balānvitāḥ) - endowed with strength (endowed with strength, strong)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of balānvita

balānvita - endowed with strength, strong

Past Passive Participle

Compound of 'bala' (strength) and 'anvita' (joined with, endowed with). 'anvita' is PPP of 'i' (to go) with 'anu'.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bala+anvita)

• bala – strength, power, force
  noun (neuter)
• anvita – joined, accompanied by, endowed with
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  PPP of root i- 'to go' with prefix anu-
  Prefix: anu
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Agrees with implied 'gāvaḥ' or 'sarvāḥ'.

शीलवयोपपन्नाः (śīlavayopapannāḥ) - endowed with good disposition and appropriate age (endowed with good character and age)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of śīlavayopapanna

śīlavayopapanna - endowed with good character and age

Past Passive Participle

Compound of 'śīla' (character), 'vayas' (age) and 'upapanna' (endowed with).

Compound type : dvandva-tatpuruṣa (śīla+vayas+upapanna)

• śīla – character, conduct, good disposition
  noun (neuter)
• vayas – age, youth, period of life
  noun (neuter)
• upapanna – possessed of, endowed with, suitable
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  PPP of root pad- 'to go' with prefix upa-
  Prefix: upa
  Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Agrees with implied 'gāvaḥ' or 'sarvāḥ'.

सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all (cows) (all, whole)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole

Note: Refers to types of cows.

प्रशंसन्ति (praśaṁsanti) - are praised (by people) (they praise, they commend)

(verb)

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

Present active indicative

Root 'śaṃs' with prefix 'pra'.

Prefix: pra

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

Note: Expresses general opinion.

सुगन्धवत्यः (sugandhavatyaḥ) - those that are fragrant (possessing good fragrance, fragrant)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sugandhavat

sugandhavat - fragrant, having good smell

Possessive suffix '-vat'

Derived from 'sugandha' (good smell) with possessive suffix '-vat'.

Note: Agrees with implied 'gāvaḥ' or 'sarvāḥ'.

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

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, for, because)

(indeclinable)

गङ्गा (gaṅgā) - the Ganga river (the river Ganga)

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of gaṅgā

gaṅgā - the river Ganga

Note: Subject of 'variṣṭhā'.

सरिताम् (saritām) - among rivers

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, plural of sarit

sarit - river, stream

From root 'sṛ' (to flow) + 'it' suffix.

Root: sṛ (class 1)

वरिष्ठा (variṣṭhā) - is the foremost/best (best, most excellent, most eminent)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of variṣṭha

variṣṭha - best, most excellent, most eminent (superlative of 'vara' or 'uru')

Superlative suffix '-iṣṭha'

Superlative degree adjective.

Note: Predicative adjective.

तथा (tathā) - so too, similarly (so, thus, similarly)

(indeclinable)

अर्जुनीनाम् (arjunīnām) - among white cows (among white cows, among Arjuna-like)

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, plural of arjunī

arjunī - white cow (feminine of arjuna), a particular type of cow

Feminine form of 'arjuna' (white, bright).

Note: Refers to a class of cows (white-colored).

कपिला (kapilā) - the (kapila) (tawny/brown) cow (brown, tawny, a brown cow)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kapilā

kapilā - brown, tawny, a brown/tawny cow, a specific kind of cow (often considered sacred)

Feminine form of 'kapila' (brown, tawny).

Note: Used as a noun referring to the cow itself.

वरिष्ठा (variṣṭhā) - is the best (best, most excellent, most eminent)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of variṣṭha

variṣṭha - best, most excellent, most eminent (superlative of 'vara' or 'uru')

Superlative suffix '-iṣṭha'

Superlative degree adjective.

Note: Predicative adjective.