महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-134, verse-30

अष्टावक्र उवाच ।
नानेन जीवता कश्चिदर्थो मे बन्दिना नृप ।
पिता यद्यस्य वरुणो मज्जयैनं जलाशये ॥३०॥

30. aṣṭāvakra uvāca ,
nānena jīvatā kaścidartho me bandinā nṛpa ,
pitā yadyasya varuṇo majjayainaṁ jalāśaye.

30. aṣṭāvakra uvāca na anena jīvatā kaścit arthaḥ me bandinā
nṛpa pitā yadi asya varuṇaḥ majjaya enam jalāśaye

30. Aṣṭāvakra said: 'O King, this bard being alive serves no purpose for me. If his father is Varuṇa, then immerse him in a body of water.'

Words meanings summery:

• अष्टावक्र (aṣṭāvakra) - The sage Aṣṭāvakra, who is speaking. (Aṣṭāvakra (proper name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (by Aṣṭāvakra) (said, spoke)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• अनेन (anena) - by this (bard) (by this, with this)

• जीवता (jīvatā) - by this living (bard) (by the living, while living)

• कश्चित् (kaścit) - any (purpose) (any, some, a certain, anything)

• अर्थः (arthaḥ) - purpose, use (purpose, meaning, wealth, object, use)

• मे (me) - for me (to me, my, for me)

• बन्दिना (bandinā) - by the bard (who challenges in debates) (by the bard, by the prisoner, by the praiser)

• नृप (nṛpa) - O King Janaka (O king)

• पिता (pitā) - father (of the bard) (father)

• यदि (yadi) - if

• अस्य (asya) - of him (the bard) (of him, his)

• वरुणः (varuṇaḥ) - The deity Varuṇa. (Varuṇa (name of a deity))

• मज्जय (majjaya) - drown (him) (drown, immerse)

• एनम् (enam) - him (the bard) (him, this one)

• जलाशये (jalāśaye) - in a body of water (in a body of water, in a reservoir)

Words meanings and morphology

अष्टावक्र (aṣṭāvakra) - The sage Aṣṭāvakra, who is speaking. (Aṣṭāvakra (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aṣṭāvakra

aṣṭāvakra - A proper name, literally 'eight-crooked'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (aṣṭā+vakra)

• aṣṭā – eight
  numeral
• vakra – crooked, bent
  adjective

Note: The visarga is often omitted in speaker tags in manuscripts and editions. Grammatically, it would be aṣṭāvakraḥ.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (by Aṣṭāvakra) (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect tense (lit)

Irregular perfect formation from root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

अनेन (anena) - by this (bard) (by this, with this)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Masculine/neuter instrumental singular of idam.

Note: Refers to the bard Vandin.

जीवता (jīvatā) - by this living (bard) (by the living, while living)

(participle)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of jīvat

jīvat - living, alive

present active participle

From root jīv (to live) + śatṛ suffix.

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Modifies bandinā.

कश्चित् (kaścit) - any (purpose) (any, some, a certain, anything)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kaścid

kaścid - any, some, a certain (indefinite pronoun)

Compound of kaḥ + cid.

Note: Qualifies arthaḥ.

अर्थः (arthaḥ) - purpose, use (purpose, meaning, wealth, object, use)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - purpose, meaning, wealth, object, thing, cause

Root: ṛ (class 3)

Note: Predicate nominative for an implied 'is'.

मे (me) - for me (to me, my, for me)

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Enclitic form of genitive or dative singular of asmad.

Note: Expresses possession or purpose ('for me').

बन्दिना (bandinā) - by the bard (who challenges in debates) (by the bard, by the prisoner, by the praiser)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of bandin

bandin - bard, panegyrist, prisoner, captive

From root bandh (to bind, to praise).

Root: bandh (class 1)

Note: Refers to the bard Vandin, who had defeated Kahora.

नृप (nṛpa) - O King Janaka (O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, ruler

Literally 'protector of men' (nṛ + pā).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nṛ+pā)

• nṛ – man, human
  noun (masculine)
• pā – to protect, to guard
  verb
  Root: pā (class 2)

Note: Addressing King Janaka.

पिता (pitā) - father (of the bard) (father)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pitṛ

pitṛ - father

यदि (yadi) - if

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a conditional clause.

अस्य (asya) - of him (the bard) (of him, his)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Masculine/neuter genitive singular of idam.

Note: Refers to the bard, Vandin.

वरुणः (varuṇaḥ) - The deity Varuṇa. (Varuṇa (name of a deity))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of varuṇa

varuṇa - Varuṇa (Vedic deity of cosmic order, waters, etc.)

Root: vṛ (class 5)

मज्जय (majjaya) - drown (him) (drown, immerse)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (lot) of majj

causative imperative

Causative stem majjay from root majj. Imperative 2nd person singular.

Root: majj (class 6)

Note: Directed at King Janaka.

एनम् (enam) - him (the bard) (him, this one)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ena

ena - this, that (emphatic demonstrative pronoun)

Masculine accusative singular of ena.

Note: Direct object of majjaya.

जलाशये (jalāśaye) - in a body of water (in a body of water, in a reservoir)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of jalāśaya

jalāśaya - reservoir, pond, lake, body of water

Compound of jala (water) + āśaya (abode, receptacle).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (jala+āśaya)

• jala – water
  noun (neuter)
• āśaya – abode, receptacle, repository
  noun (masculine)
  From ā-śī (to lie in, reside).
  Prefix: ā
  Root: śī (class 2)

Note: Indicates the place of action.