महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-23, verse-6

तेऽपृच्छन्त पुरा गत्वा पूर्वजातं प्रजापतिम् ।
यो नो ज्येष्ठस्तमाचक्ष्व स नः श्रेष्ठो भविष्यति ॥६॥

6. te'pṛcchanta purā gatvā pūrvajātaṁ prajāpatim ,
yo no jyeṣṭhastamācakṣva sa naḥ śreṣṭho bhaviṣyati.

6. te apṛcchanta purā gatvā pūrvajātam prajāpatim yaḥ
naḥ jyeṣṭhaḥ tam ācakṣva saḥ naḥ śreṣṭhaḥ bhaviṣyati

6. Having previously gone, they asked the primeval (prajāpati), the Lord of creatures: 'Declare to us who among us is the eldest, for he shall be the best among us.'

Words meanings summery:

• ते (te) - they

• अपृच्छन्त (apṛcchanta) - they asked

• पुरा (purā) - formerly, previously, in ancient times

• गत्वा (gatvā) - having gone

• पूर्वजातम् (pūrvajātam) - first-born, primeval, ancient

• प्रजापतिम् (prajāpatim) - to Prajapati, the Lord of creatures

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which, whoever

• नः (naḥ) - our, to us, for us

• ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - eldest, oldest, chief, principal

• तम् (tam) - him, that (masculine accusative singular)

• आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - declare, tell, explain

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• नः (naḥ) - our, to us, for us

• श्रेष्ठः (śreṣṭhaḥ) - best, most excellent, supreme

• भविष्यति (bhaviṣyati) - will be, will become

Words meanings and morphology

ते (te) - they

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

अपृच्छन्त (apṛcchanta) - they asked

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of prach

imperfect active form

Root 'prach' (6th class/tudādi), imperfect active 3rd plural

Root: prach (class 6)

पुरा (purā) - formerly, previously, in ancient times

(indeclinable)

गत्वा (gatvā) - having gone

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Formed from root 'gam' with suffix '-tvā'

Root: gam (class 1)

पूर्वजातम् (pūrvajātam) - first-born, primeval, ancient

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pūrvajāta

pūrvajāta - first-born, primeval, born before, ancient

Past Passive Participle

Compound 'pūrva' (former) + 'jāta' (born, participle of jan)

Compound type : tatpurusha (pūrva+jāta)

• pūrva – former, earlier, preceding
  adjective (masculine)
• jāta – born, produced, arisen
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root 'jan'
  Root: jan (class 4)

प्रजापतिम् (prajāpatim) - to Prajapati, the Lord of creatures

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of prajāpati

prajāpati - Lord of creatures, creator, a title for Brahma or other primeval deities

Compound 'prajā' (offspring, creatures) + 'pati' (lord, master)

Compound type : tatpurusha (prajā+pati)

• prajā – offspring, progeny, subjects, creatures
  noun (feminine)
• pati – lord, master, husband, owner
  noun (masculine)

यः (yaḥ) - who, which, whoever

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

नः (naḥ) - our, to us, for us

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of asmad

asmad - we, us (first person pronoun)

ज्येष्ठः (jyeṣṭhaḥ) - eldest, oldest, chief, principal

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, oldest, chief, best, most excellent (superlative of 'vṛddha')

तम् (tam) - him, that (masculine accusative singular)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - declare, tell, explain

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of cakṣ

imperative middle form

Root 'cakṣ' (2nd class/adādi), with prefix 'ā', imperative middle 2nd singular

Prefix: ā

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

नः (naḥ) - our, to us, for us

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of asmad

asmad - we, us (first person pronoun)

श्रेष्ठः (śreṣṭhaḥ) - best, most excellent, supreme

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, most excellent, supreme (superlative of 'praśasya')

भविष्यति (bhaviṣyati) - will be, will become

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of bhū

future active form

Root 'bhū' (1st class/bhvādi), future active 3rd singular

Root: bhū (class 1)