महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-35, verse-8

केन जीवन्ति भूतानि तेषामायुः किमात्मकम् ।
किं सत्यं किं तपो विप्र के गुणाः सद्भिरीरिताः ।
के पन्थानः शिवाः सन्ति किं सुखं किं च दुष्कृतम् ॥८॥

8. kena jīvanti bhūtāni teṣāmāyuḥ kimātmakam ,
kiṁ satyaṁ kiṁ tapo vipra ke guṇāḥ sadbhirīritāḥ ,
ke panthānaḥ śivāḥ santi kiṁ sukhaṁ kiṁ ca duṣkṛtam.

8. kena jīvanti bhūtāni teṣām āyuḥ kim
ātmakam kim satyam kim tapaḥ vipra ke
guṇāḥ sadbhiḥ īritāḥ ke panthānaḥ
śivāḥ santi kim sukham kim ca duṣkṛtam

8. vipra bhūtāni kena jīvanti teṣām āyuḥ
kim ātmakam kim satyam kim tapaḥ
sadbhiḥ īritāḥ ke guṇāḥ ke panthānaḥ
śivāḥ santi kim sukham kim ca duṣkṛtam

8. By what do beings live? What is the nature (ātman) of their life? O Brahmin, what is truth, and what is austerity (tapas)? What are the virtues declared by the good? Which paths are auspicious? What is happiness, and what is misfortune?

Words meanings summery:

• केन (kena) - by what (means/cause) (by what, by whom, with what)

• जीवन्ति (jīvanti) - they live (they live, exist)

• भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings (beings, creatures, elements)

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - their (of these beings) (of them, their)

• आयुः (āyuḥ) - life (life, duration of life)

• किम् (kim) - what (what?)

• आत्मकम् (ātmakam) - having the nature (ātman) of (having the nature of, consisting of, pertaining to the self (ātman))

• किम् (kim) - what (what?)

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (truth, reality)

• किम् (kim) - what (what?)

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity (tapas) (austerity, penance, heat)

• विप्र (vipra) - O Brahmin (referring to the guru) (O Brahmin, wise one)

• के (ke) - what (which ones) (who, which (plural))

• गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - qualities / virtues (qualities, virtues, strands (of prakṛti))

• सद्भिः (sadbhiḥ) - by the good (people) (by the good, by the virtuous)

• ईरिताः (īritāḥ) - declared (spoken, declared, mentioned)

• के (ke) - which (ones) (who, which (plural))

• पन्थानः (panthānaḥ) - paths (paths, ways)

• शिवाः (śivāḥ) - auspicious (auspicious, benevolent, prosperous)

• सन्ति (santi) - are (they are, exist)

• किम् (kim) - what (what?)

• सुखम् (sukham) - happiness (happiness, pleasure, ease)

• किम् (kim) - what (what?)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• दुष्कृतम् (duṣkṛtam) - misfortune (evil deed, misfortune, sin)

Words meanings and morphology

केन (kena) - by what (means/cause) (by what, by whom, with what)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun)

Note: Implies means.

जीवन्ति (jīvanti) - they live (they live, exist)

(verb)

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

present active third person plural

Root jīv (to live), present tense, Parasmaipada, 3rd person plural.

Root: jīv (class 1)

भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings (beings, creatures, elements)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - being, creature, element, past, happened

past passive participle

Past Passive Participle of root bhū (to be, become).

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject of `jīvanti`.

तेषाम् (teṣām) - their (of these beings) (of them, their)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to `bhūtāni`.

आयुः (āyuḥ) - life (life, duration of life)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of āyus

āyus - life, vitality, duration of life

Note: Subject of implied 'asti'.

किम् (kim) - what (what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Predicate nominative for `āyuḥ`.

आत्मकम् (ātmakam) - having the nature (ātman) of (having the nature of, consisting of, pertaining to the self (ātman))

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ātmaka

ātmaka - consisting of, having the nature of, pertaining to the self (ātman)

Derived from ātman (self, soul) with suffix -ka

Note: Qualifies `kim`.

किम् (kim) - what (what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Predicate nominative for `satyam`.

सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (truth, reality)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, reality, true, real

Derived from sat (being, existing)

Note: Topic of inquiry.

किम् (kim) - what (what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Predicate nominative for `tapaḥ`.

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity (tapas) (austerity, penance, heat)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, heat, spiritual fervor

From root tap (to heat, burn, suffer penance).

Root: tap (class 1)

Note: Topic of inquiry.

विप्र (vipra) - O Brahmin (referring to the guru) (O Brahmin, wise one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vipra

vipra - Brahmin, priest, inspired, wise

From root vip (to tremble, inspire)

Root: vip (class 1)

Note: Addressing the guru.

के (ke) - what (which ones) (who, which (plural))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Qualifies `guṇāḥ` and `panthānaḥ`.

गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - qualities / virtues (qualities, virtues, strands (of prakṛti))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, virtue, strand, attribute, merit

Note: Subject of implied 'santi'.

सद्भिः (sadbhiḥ) - by the good (people) (by the good, by the virtuous)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of sat

sat - being, good, virtuous, existing

present active participle

Present active participle of root as (to be).

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Agent in passive construction (`īritāḥ`).

ईरिताः (īritāḥ) - declared (spoken, declared, mentioned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of īrita

īrita - spoken, declared, impelled, thrown

past passive participle

Past Passive Participle of root īr (to stir, move, utter).

Root: īr (class 2)

Note: Qualifies `guṇāḥ`.

के (ke) - which (ones) (who, which (plural))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Qualifies `panthānaḥ`.

पन्थानः (panthānaḥ) - paths (paths, ways)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pathin

pathin - path, way, road

Note: Subject of `santi`.

शिवाः (śivāḥ) - auspicious (auspicious, benevolent, prosperous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śiva

śiva - auspicious, benevolent, propitious, Shiva

Note: Qualifies `panthānaḥ`.

सन्ति (santi) - are (they are, exist)

(verb)

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

present active third person plural

Root as (to be), present tense, Parasmaipada, 3rd person plural.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Copular verb.

किम् (kim) - what (what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Predicate nominative for `sukham`.

सुखम् (sukham) - happiness (happiness, pleasure, ease)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, pleasure, ease, joy

Note: Topic of inquiry.

किम् (kim) - what (what?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun/adjective)

Note: Predicate nominative for `duṣkṛtam`.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

दुष्कृतम् (duṣkṛtam) - misfortune (evil deed, misfortune, sin)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of duṣkṛta

duṣkṛta - evil deed, sin, wrong action, misfortune

past passive participle (used as noun)

Compound: dus (bad, difficult) + kṛta (done, deed - P.P.P. of kṛ).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dus+kṛta)

• dus – bad, evil, difficult, ill-
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, deed, act
  adjective (neuter)
  past passive participle
  Past Passive Participle of root kṛ (to do, make).
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Topic of inquiry.