महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-2, chapter-5, verse-100

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
कथं वै सफला वेदाः कथं वै सफलं धनम् ।
कथं वै सफला दाराः कथं वै सफलं श्रुतम् ॥१००॥

100. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kathaṁ vai saphalā vedāḥ kathaṁ vai saphalaṁ dhanam ,
kathaṁ vai saphalā dārāḥ kathaṁ vai saphalaṁ śrutam.

100. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca katham vai
saphalāḥ vedāḥ katham vai saphalam
dhanam katham vai saphalāḥ
dārāḥ katham vai saphalam śrutam

100. Yudhiṣṭhira asked: What makes the Vedas fruitful? What makes wealth fruitful? What makes wives fruitful? And what makes learning fruitful?

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira (a proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

• वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

• सफलाः (saphalāḥ) - fruitful, successful, productive

• वेदाः (vedāḥ) - the Vedas (sacred texts)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

• वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

• सफलम् (saphalam) - fruitful, successful, productive

• धनम् (dhanam) - wealth, riches, property

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

• वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

• सफलाः (saphalāḥ) - fruitful, successful, productive

• दाराः (dārāḥ) - wives

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

• वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

• सफलम् (saphalam) - fruitful, successful, productive

• श्रुतम् (śrutam) - learning, sacred knowledge, what has been heard

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle, Yudhiṣṭhira (eldest Pāṇḍava)

Compound type : aluk-tatpurusha (yudh+sthira)

• yudh – battle, fight
  noun (feminine)
• sthira – steady, firm, constant
  adjective (masculine)
  From root sthā (to stand)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect past (lit) of vac

Perfect Active

3rd person singular, Perfect tense, Parasmaipada, irregular form

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

(indeclinable)

वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

(indeclinable)

सफलाः (saphalāḥ) - fruitful, successful, productive

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of saphala

saphala - bearing fruit, fruitful, successful, advantageous

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+phala)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, reward
  noun (neuter)

Note: Feminine nominative plural form, agreeing with 'vedāḥ' and 'dārāḥ'.

वेदाः (vedāḥ) - the Vedas (sacred texts)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of veda

veda - knowledge, sacred knowledge, the Vedas (Rgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, Atharvaveda)

From root vid (to know)

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Masculine nominative plural form.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

(indeclinable)

वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

(indeclinable)

सफलम् (saphalam) - fruitful, successful, productive

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of saphala

saphala - bearing fruit, fruitful, successful, advantageous

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+phala)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, reward
  noun (neuter)

Note: Neuter nominative singular form, agreeing with 'dhanam' and 'śrutam'.

धनम् (dhanam) - wealth, riches, property

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dhana

dhana - wealth, riches, property, money

From root dhā (to place, to bear)

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Also accusative singular. Here, nominative.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

(indeclinable)

वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

(indeclinable)

सफलाः (saphalāḥ) - fruitful, successful, productive

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of saphala

saphala - bearing fruit, fruitful, successful, advantageous

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+phala)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, reward
  noun (neuter)

Note: Feminine nominative plural form, agreeing with 'vedāḥ' and 'dārāḥ'.

दाराः (dārāḥ) - wives

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dāra

dāra - wife (masculine noun, but refers to female spouse, and is usually plural)

Note: Masculine nominative plural form, referring to wives.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner, what

(indeclinable)

वै (vai) - Emphatic particle, adding emphasis to the question. (indeed, verily, certainly)

(indeclinable)

सफलम् (saphalam) - fruitful, successful, productive

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of saphala

saphala - bearing fruit, fruitful, successful, advantageous

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+phala)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, reward
  noun (neuter)

Note: Neuter nominative singular form, agreeing with 'dhanam' and 'śrutam'.

श्रुतम् (śrutam) - learning, sacred knowledge, what has been heard

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śruta

śruta - heard, learned, knowledge, sacred tradition, learning

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root śru (to hear) + suffix kta (ta)

Root: śru (class 1)

Note: Neuter nominative singular form.