महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-80, verse-9

केन देवाः पवित्रेण स्वर्गमश्नन्ति वा विभो ।
किं च यज्ञस्य यज्ञत्वं क्व च यज्ञः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥९॥

9. kena devāḥ pavitreṇa svargamaśnanti vā vibho ,
kiṁ ca yajñasya yajñatvaṁ kva ca yajñaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ.

9. kena devāḥ pavitreṇa svargam aśnanti vā vibho kim
ca yajñasya yajñatvam kva ca yajñaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

9. vibho kena pavitreṇa devāḥ svargam vā aśnanti ca
kim yajñasya yajñatvam ca kva yajñaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

9. O Lord (vibhu), by what pure means do the gods enjoy heaven (svarga)? And what is the essential nature (yajñatva) of a (yajña)? And where is a (yajña) truly established?

Words meanings summery:

• केन (kena) - By what means or instrument (referring to 'pavitreṇa'). (by whom, by what, by which)

• देवाः (devāḥ) - gods, divine beings

• पवित्रेण (pavitreṇa) - by a purifier, by a holy thing, by a pure means

• स्वर्गम् (svargam) - heaven, celestial abode

• अश्नन्ति (aśnanti) - they eat, they enjoy, they partake of, they obtain

• वा (vā) - Acts as an intensifier or connective, similar to 'and' here, joining the question. (or, and, indeed)

• विभो (vibho) - Vocative address to the father (Vyāsa). (O lord, O all-pervading one, O powerful one)

• किम् (kim) - What (constitutes the nature). (what)

• च (ca) - and

• यज्ञस्य (yajñasya) - of the (yajña), of the Vedic ritual

• यज्ञत्वम् (yajñatvam) - the nature of being a (yajña), (yajña)-ness, the essence of a ritual

• क्व (kva) - where, in what place

• च (ca) - and

• यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, offering, sacrifice

• प्रतिष्ठितः (pratiṣṭhitaḥ) - established, founded, based, standing firm

Words meanings and morphology

केन (kena) - By what means or instrument (referring to 'pavitreṇa'). (by whom, by what, by which)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun)

Note: Interrogative, modifying 'pavitreṇa'.

देवाः (devāḥ) - gods, divine beings

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine being

From root div (to shine)

Root: div (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'aśnanti'.

पवित्रेण (pavitreṇa) - by a purifier, by a holy thing, by a pure means

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of pavitra

pavitra - pure, holy, sacred; a purifier, a means of purification

From root pū (to purify)

Root: pū (class 1)

Note: Instrument by which gods enjoy heaven.

स्वर्गम् (svargam) - heaven, celestial abode

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of svarga

svarga - heaven, paradise, celestial world

Note: Object of 'aśnanti'.

अश्नन्ति (aśnanti) - they eat, they enjoy, they partake of, they obtain

(verb)

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

Present tense, 3rd plural, active voice, from root aś- (to eat, to enjoy, to obtain)

Root: aś (class 9)

Note: Subject is 'devāḥ'.

वा (vā) - Acts as an intensifier or connective, similar to 'and' here, joining the question. (or, and, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the first question to 'vibho'.

विभो (vibho) - Vocative address to the father (Vyāsa). (O lord, O all-pervading one, O powerful one)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vibhu

vibhu - all-pervading, powerful, lord, master

Note: Address to the wise father.

किम् (kim) - What (constitutes the nature). (what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which (interrogative pronoun/adverb)

Note: Interrogative pronoun, predicating 'yajñatvam'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the second question.

यज्ञस्य (yajñasya) - of the (yajña), of the Vedic ritual

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, devotion, offering, worship

From root yaj (to worship, sacrifice)

Root: yaj (class 1)

Note: Possessive, relating to 'yajñatvam'.

यज्ञत्वम् (yajñatvam) - the nature of being a (yajña), (yajña)-ness, the essence of a ritual

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yajñatva

yajñatva - the nature of a Vedic ritual, the essence of an offering

Derived from yajña (Vedic ritual) with the suffix -tva (abstract noun forming suffix)

Note: Subject of an implied verb "is".

क्व (kva) - where, in what place

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb of place.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the third question.

यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, offering, sacrifice

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, devotion, offering, worship

From root yaj (to worship, sacrifice)

Root: yaj (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'pratiṣṭhitaḥ'.

प्रतिष्ठितः (pratiṣṭhitaḥ) - established, founded, based, standing firm

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pratiṣṭhita

pratiṣṭhita - established, founded, fixed, consecrated, standing

Past Passive Participle

From prefix prati- + root sthā (to stand, establish)

Prefix: prati

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective to 'yajñaḥ'. Implies a verb "is".