महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-91, verse-17

अकृतं मुनिभिः पूर्वं किं मयैतदनुष्ठितम् ।
कथं नु शापेन न मां दहेयुर्ब्राह्मणा इति ॥१७॥

17. akṛtaṁ munibhiḥ pūrvaṁ kiṁ mayaitadanuṣṭhitam ,
kathaṁ nu śāpena na māṁ daheyurbrāhmaṇā iti.

17. akṛtam munibhiḥ pūrvam kim mayā etat anuṣṭhitam
katham nu śāpena na mām daheyuḥ brāhmaṇāḥ iti

17. mayā etat akṛtam pūrvam munibhiḥ kim anuṣṭhitam
katham nu brāhmaṇāḥ śāpena mām na daheyuḥ iti

17. What is this deed I have performed, which was never done by other sages (muni) before? How is it that the brahmins will not consume me with a curse?

Words meanings summery:

• अकृतम् (akṛtam) - an act that has never been performed before (undone, not done, unprecedented act)

• मुनिभिः (munibhiḥ) - by (other) sages (by sages, by ascetics)

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - in the past, earlier (before, formerly, previously)

• किम् (kim) - what (is this act)? (what?, why?, whether)

• मया (mayā) - by myself (the sage) (by me)

• एतत् (etat) - this (act) (this, this one)

• अनुष्ठितम् (anuṣṭhitam) - performed (by me) (performed, carried out, observed)

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

• नु (nu) - surely, then (emphatic particle, implying doubt or question) (indeed, now, then, surely (interrogative or emphatic particle))

• शापेन (śāpena) - with a curse (as the instrument of harm) (by a curse)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• माम् (mām) - me (the sage) (me)

• दहेयुः (daheyuḥ) - brahmins might burn me (with a curse) (they might burn, they should burn)

• ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - the priestly class (who would normally punish such acts) (brahmins)

• इति (iti) - marks the end of direct speech or thought (thus, so, in this way)

Words meanings and morphology

अकृतम् (akṛtam) - an act that has never been performed before (undone, not done, unprecedented act)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of akṛta

akṛta - undone, not done, unprecedented

past passive participle (negated)

Negated form of kṛta (done), from root kṛ- (to do, make)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+kṛta)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, performed
  participle
  past passive participle
  From root kṛ- (to do, make)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Functions as a noun here, "an undone thing".

मुनिभिः (munibhiḥ) - by (other) sages (by sages, by ascetics)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of muni

muni - sage, ascetic, seer

Note: Indicates agency for the act not being done.

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - in the past, earlier (before, formerly, previously)

(indeclinable)

Note: Functions as an adverb here.

किम् (kim) - what (is this act)? (what?, why?, whether)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, who, which, why

Note: Interrogative pronoun, neuter nominative singular.

मया (mayā) - by myself (the sage) (by me)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of aham

aham - I

एतत् (etat) - this (act) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

अनुष्ठितम् (anuṣṭhitam) - performed (by me) (performed, carried out, observed)

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anuṣṭhita

anuṣṭhita - performed, carried out, observed

past passive participle

From root sthā (to stand) with prefix anu-, modified to -ṣṭhā after certain prefixes. Here, anu-ṣṭhā-kta.

Prefix: anu

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'etat'.

कथम् (katham) - how (can this be)? (how?, in what manner?)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

नु (nu) - surely, then (emphatic particle, implying doubt or question) (indeed, now, then, surely (interrogative or emphatic particle))

(indeclinable)

शापेन (śāpena) - with a curse (as the instrument of harm) (by a curse)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of śāpa

śāpa - curse, imprecation

From root śap- (to curse, swear)

Root: śap (class 1)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

माम् (mām) - me (the sage) (me)

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of aham

aham - I

Note: Object of the verb 'daheyuḥ'.

दहेयुः (daheyuḥ) - brahmins might burn me (with a curse) (they might burn, they should burn)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of dah

optative

From root dah- (to burn) in third person plural optative

Root: dah (class 1)

Note: Expresses possibility or desire.

ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - the priestly class (who would normally punish such acts) (brahmins)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - brahmin, priestly class

Note: Subject of 'daheyuḥ'.

इति (iti) - marks the end of direct speech or thought (thus, so, in this way)

(indeclinable)