महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-93, verse-88

ततो मयोक्तं तद्वाक्यं प्रहस्य द्विजसत्तमाः ।
सक्तुप्रस्थेन यज्ञोऽयं संमितो नेति सर्वथा ॥८८॥

88. tato mayoktaṁ tadvākyaṁ prahasya dvijasattamāḥ ,
saktuprasthena yajño'yaṁ saṁmito neti sarvathā.

88. tataḥ mayā uktam tat vākyam prahasya dvijasattamāḥ
ayam saktuprasthena yajñaḥ sammitaḥ na iti sarvathā

88. he dvijasattamāḥ tataḥ prahasya mayā tat vākyam uktam
iti ayam yajñaḥ saktuprasthena sarvathā na sammitaḥ

88. Then, having laughed, I said to the best among the brahmins, "O best among brahmins, this great Vedic ritual (yajña) is by no means comparable to merely a prastha of barley flour."

Words meanings summery:

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, therefore, from that

• मया (mayā) - by me

• उक्तम् (uktam) - said, spoken, declared

• तत् (tat) - that

• वाक्यम् (vākyam) - statement, speech, word

• प्रहस्य (prahasya) - having laughed, smiling

• द्विजसत्तमाः (dvijasattamāḥ) - Addressed to the brahmins present at the ritual. (O best among brahmins, O excellent twice-born ones)

• अयम् (ayam) - this

• सक्तुप्रस्थेन (saktuprasthena) - with a prastha of barley flour

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

• सम्मितः (sammitaḥ) - comparable, equal, measured, contained

• न (na) - not, no

• इति (iti) - Marks the end of direct speech. (thus, so, in this way)

• सर्वथा (sarvathā) - in every way, by all means, at all

Words meanings and morphology

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, therefore, from that

(indeclinable)

Suffix -tas added to pronoun base ta- to indicate 'from there' or 'then'

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of aham

aham - I

उक्तम् (uktam) - said, spoken, declared

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ukta

ukta - said, spoken, declared

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root vac (to speak) with kta suffix, irregular formation

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Used here as a predicate adjective agreeing with 'vākyaṃ'.

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

वाक्यम् (vākyam) - statement, speech, word

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vākya

vākya - statement, speech, word, sentence

Derived from vac (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Object of 'uktam'.

प्रहस्य (prahasya) - having laughed, smiling

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root has (to laugh) with prefix pra- and suffix -ya

Prefix: pra

Root: has (class 1)

द्विजसत्तमाः (dvijasattamāḥ) - Addressed to the brahmins present at the ritual. (O best among brahmins, O excellent twice-born ones)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, plural of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - best among brahmins, excellent twice-born one

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born, brahmin, bird
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from dvi (two) + jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)
• sattama – best, most excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix -tama added to sat (good)

अयम् (ayam) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Agrees with 'yajñaḥ'.

सक्तुप्रस्थेन (saktuprasthena) - with a prastha of barley flour

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of saktuprastha

saktuprastha - a prastha (measure) of barley flour

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (saktu+prastha)

• saktu – barley flour, gruel
  noun (masculine)
• prastha – a measure of grain (approx. 2.5 kg or 4 seers)
  noun (masculine)

Note: Indicates the means of comparison.

यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, worship, sacrifice

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, worship, sacrifice

Derived from root yaj (to worship, sacrifice)

Root: yaj (class 1)

Note: Subject of the sentence 'ayam yajñaḥ na sammitaḥ'.

सम्मितः (sammitaḥ) - comparable, equal, measured, contained

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sammita

sammita - measured, comparable, equal, contained

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root mā (to measure) with prefix sam- and kta suffix

Prefix: sam

Root: mā (class 3)

Note: Predicate adjective agreeing with 'yajñaḥ'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates the statement.

इति (iti) - Marks the end of direct speech. (thus, so, in this way)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the end of direct speech.

सर्वथा (sarvathā) - in every way, by all means, at all

(indeclinable)

Suffix -thā added to sarva (all)

Note: Reinforces the negation.