महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-115, verse-11

तमुवाच ततो राजा ब्राह्मणं संशितव्रतम् ।
उचितं नः कुले किंचित्पूर्वैर्यत्संप्रवर्तितम् ॥११॥

11. tamuvāca tato rājā brāhmaṇaṁ saṁśitavratam ,
ucitaṁ naḥ kule kiṁcitpūrvairyatsaṁpravartitam.

11. tam uvāca tataḥ rājā brāhmaṇam saṃśitavratam
ucitam naḥ kule kiṃcit pūrvaiḥ yat sampravartitam

11. Then the king said to that Brahmin, who was resolute in his vows, 'There is a certain custom established in our family by our ancestors that is appropriate for us'.

Words meanings summery:

• तम् (tam) - that Brahmin (Ṛcīka) (him, that)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, afterwards

• राजा (rājā) - The king, Gadhi (father of Satyavati) (king)

• ब्राह्मणम् (brāhmaṇam) - the Brahmin (Ṛcīka) (Brahmin, one belonging to the priestly class)

• संशितव्रतम् (saṁśitavratam) - firm in vows, resolute in observances

• उचितम् (ucitam) - proper, appropriate, suitable

• नः (naḥ) - our (family) (to us, our, for us)

• कुले (kule) - in the family, in the lineage

• किंचित् (kiṁcit) - a certain custom or practice (something, a certain thing)

• पूर्वैः (pūrvaiḥ) - by the ancestors, by the former ones

• यत् (yat) - which, that

• सम्प्रवर्तितम् (sampravartitam) - established, initiated, set in motion

Words meanings and morphology

तम् (tam) - that Brahmin (Ṛcīka) (him, that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Object of 'uvāca'

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active Voice

Reduplicated perfect form of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, afterwards

(indeclinable)

राजा (rājā) - The king, Gadhi (father of Satyavati) (king)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'

ब्राह्मणम् (brāhmaṇam) - the Brahmin (Ṛcīka) (Brahmin, one belonging to the priestly class)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - Brahmin, one belonging to the priestly class

Note: Object of 'uvāca' (indirect object)

संशितव्रतम् (saṁśitavratam) - firm in vows, resolute in observances

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of saṃśitavrata

saṁśitavrata - firm in vows, resolute in observances

Compound formed from 'saṃśita' (sharpened, firm) and 'vrata' (vow, observance)

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (saṃśita+vrata)

• saṃśita – sharpened, firm, resolute
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root 'śo/śā' (to sharpen) with prefix 'sam-'
  Prefix: sam
  Root: śo/śā
• vrata – vow, sacred observance, religious practice
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'brāhmaṇam'

उचितम् (ucitam) - proper, appropriate, suitable

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ucita

ucita - proper, appropriate, suitable

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'vac' (to speak) or 'uc' (to be pleased, to be proper) with suffix '-ita'

Root: vac/uc

Note: Predicate adjective for 'kiṃcit'

नः (naḥ) - our (family) (to us, our, for us)

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Possessive for 'kule'

कुले (kule) - in the family, in the lineage

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of kula

kula - family, lineage, race, clan

किंचित् (kiṁcit) - a certain custom or practice (something, a certain thing)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiṃcid

kiṁcid - something, a certain thing

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'asti' (is)

पूर्वैः (pūrvaiḥ) - by the ancestors, by the former ones

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of pūrva

pūrva - former, ancient, previous, ancestors

Note: Agent of 'sampravartitam'

यत् (yat) - which, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, that

Note: Relative pronoun, refers to 'kiṃcit'

सम्प्रवर्तितम् (sampravartitam) - established, initiated, set in motion

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sampravartita

sampravartita - established, set in motion, initiated

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'vṛt' (to turn, to be) with prefixes 'sam-' and 'pra-'

Prefixes: sam+pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Predicate of the clause 'yat sampravartitam'