महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-2, chapter-38, verse-12

न ते श्रुतमिदं भीष्म नूनं कथयतां सताम् ।
यद्वक्ष्ये त्वामधर्मज्ञ वाक्यं कुरुकुलाधम ॥१२॥

12. na te śrutamidaṁ bhīṣma nūnaṁ kathayatāṁ satām ,
yadvakṣye tvāmadharmajña vākyaṁ kurukulādhama.

12. na te śrutam idam bhīṣma nūnam kathayatām satām
yat vakṣye tvām adharmajña vākyam kurukula adhamam

12. Bhishma, you surely have not heard this from virtuous people who narrate such things. What I am about to declare to you, O ignorant of natural law (dharma) and lowest of the Kuru family, is a statement.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not

• ते (te) - by you (Bhishma) (by you)

• श्रुतम् (śrutam) - heard, listened

• इदम् (idam) - this (the statement that follows) (this)

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma

• नूनम् (nūnam) - surely, certainly, indeed

• कथयताम् (kathayatām) - by those who were narrating (the story) (of those narrating, by those speaking)

• सताम् (satām) - of virtuous people (who narrate) (of good people, of virtuous ones)

• यत् (yat) - what (introducing the direct speech that follows) (which, what)

• वक्ष्ये (vakṣye) - I (the speaker, Vidura) will declare (I will speak, I will declare)

• त्वाम् (tvām) - you (Bhishma) (you (accusative))

• अधर्मज्ञ (adharmajña) - O you ignorant of natural law (dharma) (addressing Bhishma) (knower of non-natural law, ignorant of dharma)

• वाक्यम् (vākyam) - statement (that the speaker will make) (statement, word, speech)

• कुरुकुल (kurukula) - Kuru family/lineage

• अधमम् (adhamam) - O lowest (of the Kuru family), addressing Bhishma (lowest, vilest)

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

ते (te) - by you (Bhishma) (by you)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of tvad

tvad - you (singular)

Note: Enclitic form of tvayā.

श्रुतम् (śrutam) - heard, listened

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śruta

śruta - heard, known, famous, scripture

Past Passive Participle

From root 'śru' (to hear) with suffix 'kta'.

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Predicate to 'idam'.

इदम् (idam) - this (the statement that follows) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this here

Note: Subject of the sentence.

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (proper name)

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Speaker addressing Bhishma.

नूनम् (nūnam) - surely, certainly, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the statement.

कथयताम् (kathayatām) - by those who were narrating (the story) (of those narrating, by those speaking)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of kathayat

kathayat - narrating, telling, speaking

Present Active Participle

From root 'kath' (to tell) with 'śatṛ' suffix.

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: Refers to the narrators from whom Bhishma supposedly didn't hear.

सताम् (satām) - of virtuous people (who narrate) (of good people, of virtuous ones)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - being, existing, good, virtuous, wise

Present Active Participle

From root 'as' (to be) with 'śatṛ' suffix.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'kathayatām'.

यत् (yat) - what (introducing the direct speech that follows) (which, what)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Object of 'vakṣye'.

वक्ष्ये (vakṣye) - I (the speaker, Vidura) will declare (I will speak, I will declare)

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, future (lṛṭ) of vac

Future Tense

From root 'vac' with future suffix 'sya' and middle ending 'e'.

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Speaker is Vidura.

त्वाम् (tvām) - you (Bhishma) (you (accusative))

(pronoun)

Accusative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

Note: Object of 'vakṣye'.

अधर्मज्ञ (adharmajña) - O you ignorant of natural law (dharma) (addressing Bhishma) (knower of non-natural law, ignorant of dharma)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of adharmajña

adharmajña - ignorant of dharma/duty/righteousness, knowing impiety

Compound meaning "one who knows adharma" or "ignorant of dharma".

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+dharma+jña)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• dharma – natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• jña – knower
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from root jñā (to know).
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Addressing Bhishma with criticism.

वाक्यम् (vākyam) - statement (that the speaker will make) (statement, word, speech)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vākya

vākya - word, speech, statement, sentence

Derived from 'vac' (to speak).

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Object of 'vakṣye'.

कुरुकुल (kurukula) - Kuru family/lineage

(noun)

neuter, singular of kurukula

kurukula - family/lineage of the Kurus

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kuru+kula)

• kuru – Kuru (proper name of an ancient king and his dynasty)
  proper noun (masculine)
• kula – family, lineage, clan
  noun (neuter)

Note: Part of compound.

अधमम् (adhamam) - O lowest (of the Kuru family), addressing Bhishma (lowest, vilest)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of adhama

adhama - lowest, worst, mean, vile

Superlative degree.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kuru+kula+adhama)

• kuru – Kuru
  proper noun (masculine)
• kula – family, lineage
  noun (neuter)
• adhama – lowest, worst
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Addressing Bhishma with criticism.