महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-134, verse-18

अष्टावक्र उवाच ।
संवत्सरं द्वादश मासमाहुर्जगत्याः पादो द्वादशैवाक्षराणि ।
द्वादशाहः प्राकृतो यज्ञ उक्तो द्वादशादित्यान्कथयन्तीह विप्राः ॥१८॥

18. aṣṭāvakra uvāca ,
saṁvatsaraṁ dvādaśa māsamāhu;rjagatyāḥ pādo dvādaśaivākṣarāṇi ,
dvādaśāhaḥ prākṛto yajña ukto; dvādaśādityānkathayantīha viprāḥ.

18. aṣṭāvakraḥ uvāca | saṃvatsaram dvādaśa
māsam āhuḥ jagatyāḥ pādaḥ dvādaśa eva
akṣarāṇi | dvādaśāhaḥ prākṛtaḥ yajñaḥ
uktaḥ dvādaśa ādityān kathayanti iha viprāḥ

18. aṣṭāvakraḥ uvāca saṃvatsaram dvādaśa
māsam āhuḥ jagatyāḥ pādaḥ dvādaśa eva
akṣarāṇi dvādaśāhaḥ prākṛtaḥ yajñaḥ uktaḥ
iha viprāḥ dvādaśa ādityān kathayanti

18. Aṣṭāvakra said: They declare a year to consist of twelve months. A foot of the Jagati meter indeed comprises twelve syllables. The twelve-day (Vedic ritual) (yajña) is described as standard. And here, the wise ones (viprāḥ) speak of twelve Adityas.

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टावक्रः (aṣṭāvakraḥ) - Aṣṭāvakra (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• संवत्सरम् (saṁvatsaram) - a year

• द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

• मासम् (māsam) - month

• आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say, they speak

• जगत्याः (jagatyāḥ) - of the Jagati (meter)

• पादः (pādaḥ) - foot, quarter, verse-foot

• द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly

• अक्षराणि (akṣarāṇi) - syllables, imperishable things

• द्वादशाहः (dvādaśāhaḥ) - a twelve-day period, a twelve-day ritual

• प्राकृतः (prākṛtaḥ) - natural, normal, ordinary, standard

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

• उक्तः (uktaḥ) - said, spoken, mentioned, described

• द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

• आदित्यान् (ādityān) - Adityas (a class of solar deities)

• कथयन्ति (kathayanti) - they narrate, they tell, they speak of

• इह (iha) - here, in this world, in this case

• विप्राः (viprāḥ) - wise ones (viprāḥ) (wise ones, learned ones, Brahmins)

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टावक्रः (aṣṭāvakraḥ) - Aṣṭāvakra (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭāvakra

aṣṭāvakra - 'eight bends', name of a sage

Compound type : bahuvrihi (aṣṭa+vakra)

• aṣṭa – eight
  adjective
  Numeral
• vakra – bent, crooked
  adjective
  From √vaṅk (to be crooked)
  Root: vaṅk (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

Irregular perfect of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

संवत्सरम् (saṁvatsaram) - a year

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of saṃvatsara

saṁvatsara - year

From sam- + √vas (to dwell, to spend time) + -ara suffix

Prefix: sam

Root: vas (class 1)

द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

(adjective)

plural of dvādaśan

dvādaśan - twelve

Numeral

Note: Numeral, indeclinable in this form, acting as an adjective for 'māsam'.

मासम् (māsam) - month

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of māsa

māsa - month

Note: Often used as accusative singular to mean 'months' when referring to 'x months' (like dvādaśa māsam).

आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say, they speak

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (liṭ) of ah

Perfect Active

Irregular perfect of √ah, used as present. Root is a variant of √vac

Root: ah (class 2)

जगत्याः (jagatyāḥ) - of the Jagati (meter)

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, singular of jagatī

jagatī - a Vedic meter consisting of 12 syllables per foot, the earth, world

Feminine noun, derived from √gam (to go)

Root: gam (class 1)

पादः (pādaḥ) - foot, quarter, verse-foot

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pāda

pāda - foot, leg, quarter, metrical foot

Root: pad (class 4)

द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

(adjective)

plural of dvādaśan

dvādaśan - twelve

Numeral

Note: Numeral adjective, common form for nominative plural across genders.

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

अक्षराणि (akṣarāṇi) - syllables, imperishable things

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of akṣara

akṣara - syllable, imperishable, indestructible, letter (of alphabet)

From a- (negative prefix) + √kṣar (to flow, perish)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kṣara)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• kṣara – perishable, flowing
  adjective
  From √kṣar (to flow, perish)
  Root: kṣar (class 1)

द्वादशाहः (dvādaśāhaḥ) - a twelve-day period, a twelve-day ritual

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dvādaśāha

dvādaśāha - a period of twelve days, a Vedic ritual lasting twelve days

From dvādaśan (twelve) + ahan (day)

Compound type : dvigu (dvādaśa+ahan)

• dvādaśa – twelve
  adjective
  Numeral
• ahan – day
  noun (neuter)

प्राकृतः (prākṛtaḥ) - natural, normal, ordinary, standard

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prākṛta

prākṛta - natural, ordinary, standard, original

From prakṛti (nature, origin) + -a suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual (yajña) (Vedic ritual, sacrifice)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, sacrifice, worship

From √yaj (to worship, sacrifice)

Root: yaj (class 1)

उक्तः (uktaḥ) - said, spoken, mentioned, described

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ukta

ukta - said, spoken, mentioned, declared

Past Passive Participle

From √vac (to speak), irregular participle

Root: vac (class 2)

द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

(adjective)

plural of dvādaśan

dvādaśan - twelve

Numeral

Note: Numeral adjective, common form for nominative plural across genders.

आदित्यान् (ādityān) - Adityas (a class of solar deities)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of āditya

āditya - a son of Aditi, a deity of the solar class, the Sun

From Aditi (mother of gods) + -ya suffix

कथयन्ति (kathayanti) - they narrate, they tell, they speak of

(verb)

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

Present Active

From √kath (to tell), 10th class derivative, Parasmaipada

Root: kath (class 10)

इह (iha) - here, in this world, in this case

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place or time

विप्राः (viprāḥ) - wise ones (viprāḥ) (wise ones, learned ones, Brahmins)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vipra

vipra - wise, inspired, a Brahmin, a sage

From √vip (to tremble, to be inspired)

Root: vip (class 1)